Knights of the Old Republic 3: The Final Chapters
by Assassin's Creed Master
Summary: The Jedi Order are all but deceased in a galaxy on the verge of destruction. Former exile Meetra Surik's journey continues as she seeks out her old friend Revan within the Unknown Reigions in the hopes of finding the true Sith. Join the crew of the Ebon Hawk for one final journey.
1. Chapter 1: Prologue

_Title:_ _ **Knights of the Old Republic 3: The Final Chapters**_

 _Authors: Assassin's Creed Master as writer and brainstormer/Legionary Prime as brainstormer_

 _Language: English, Rating: Rated: T_

 _Genre: Romance/Sci-Fi/Adventure/Family/Friendship_

 _Published: 26-09-2017_

* * *

 **Knights of the Old Republic 3: The Final Chapters**

 **Chapter 1: Prologue**

 **Hey everyone, Assassin's Creed Master. It's been a long time since I last published on this site. As you can see, we are back with a Star Wars story, based off my favourite Star Wars video game series.**

 **Like many, I was very disappointed that we never got to see the third game, even more so with the Revan novel. With the help of my good friend Legionary Prime, we have put together our own version of Knights of the old Republic 3, hoping to give it the proper conclusion the franchise deserved.**

 **I would also like to dedicate this chapter to John Cygan, the voice actor for Canderous who sadly passed away on May 13th, 2017. May you rest in peace, Mr. Cygan.**

 **Without further ado, here is the story. Enjoy reading and feel free to drop some reviews.**

* * *

 _Knights of the Old Republic 3_

 _The Jedi Order are all but deceased in a galaxy on the verge of destruction. Former exile Meetra Surik was successful in reuniting the old Jedi Masters, but betrayed by her mentor Kreia, now referring to herself as 'Darth Traya', the lord of betrayal._

 _Telos has been saved, but the threat of the galaxy still remains. As long as Traya remains, not a single being. Meetra Surik travels to Malachor V, the wasteland of a planet caused by the mandalorian wars._

 _Defeating the infamous Darth Sion, the lord of pain, Meetra travels to the heart of the galaxy to confront her old mentor. The time to fight is nigh and only one of them is leaving this planet alive…_

Tired, exhausted and on the verge of collapsing. These were the thoughts on her mind as she continued her way through the Trayus Academy. Meetra Surik, the former Jedi exile, arrived at her destination she had fought so hard to get to: the Trayus Core, heart of Malachor V. It had been a long journey these past few weeks and Meetra had the feeling it was about to come to an end.

As Meetra marched into core, mediating in the center was no other than Kreia; her former teacher who she shared a strong force bond with. Unfortunately, after a series of events, Kreia had betrayed her and revealed herself to be Darth Traya, who had used Meetra to regain her title as the Sith Lord. Why she had done this, no-one knew, but the questions that needed to be answered would soon be revealed.

Taking a moment to gather her strength, Meetra continued her walk towards Kreia while attaching her lightsaber to her side.

Kreia stood up as Meetra approached, greeting her as if she was expected. "At last you have arrived. Is Malachor as you remember?"

"Malachor has not changed...Only you have, Kreia," Meetra responded while she halted in her steps, standing only a few feet away from her former mentor.

"Indeed," Kreia agreed. "Perhaps it is merely your perception of me that have changed. It is strange you believe Malachor has not. But it has always been timeless to you, this place. And words have always been inadequate for the horrors that took place here."

Meetra had no time to dwell on her past again. Right now, she had to focus on her future and that involved answers from Kreia. She needed to know why she had done this, why she turned to the dark side. "Why have you done this, Kreia? What made you do this?"

"It is said that the Force has a will, it has a destiny for us all. I wield it, but it uses us all, and that is abhorrent to me," Kreia begun to explain her actions and by the sound of her tone, she appeared to be justifying her actions. "Because I hate the Force. I hate that it seems to have a will, that it would control us to achieve some measure of balance, when countless lives are lost. But in you...I see the potential to see the Force die, to turn away from its will. And that is what pleases me. You are beautiful to me, Meetra. A dead spot in the Force, an emptiness in which its ill might be denied."

Meetra could not help but raise an eyebrow. Kreia claimed to hate the force, yet she used it numerous times in their battles together, ranging from healing to force lighting. "If you hate the Force, why do you use it?"

"I use it as I would use a poison, and in the hopes of understanding it, I will learn the way to kill it," Kreia responded, but even she begun to doubt her own words. "But perhaps these are the excuses of an old woman who has grown to rely on a thing she despises."

This was Kreia's goal: to destroy the force. Meetra did not even begin to understand how such a feat was possible. The Force was with them everywhere, the Force is within all beings. To destroy it would...Well, Meetra did not understand how this was possible. She understood that Kreia was neither light nor dark side, but she never expected her to hate the very thing she possesses.

Whatever Kreia planned did not matter now, what mattered was to stop out. Without saying another word, Meetra held out her hand towards Kreia, pleading for her to turn away from her path of evil. She believed that Kreia could be saved, despite her far she had fallen. "It's not too late, Kreia. I can save you, if you'll let me."

Kreia, however, had expected this to happen. She continued to speak with her usually expressionless face. "I have thought of this moment, more than you know. And I wondered, if here, at this ending between us, if you would care enough to try and save me - if a Jedi could find it within themselves to spare one who has fallen so far. I wanted you to say those words – for that I am grateful."

Meetra's hopes had risen slightly, but immediately dropped when Kreia continued.

"But I do not want your mercy," Kreia snapped. "I want you to break."

It was quite obvious that Kreia had no intention of being saved or redeemed, but that didn't exactly help Meetra decide what to do now. Kreia could have easily killed her at any time with their force bond, yet she lived.

"What happens now?" Meetra inquired.

"The apprentice must kill the Master," Kreia answered without a second's hesitation. "If you do not, I will kill you. If I do not, then all you have achieved will be as nothing, as empty and as violent as Malachor itself."

Meetra understood now why Kreia wanted her here: to kill her and claim the title of Sith Lord. Meetra, however, refused. "I will not fight you."

Kreia responded with a hint of disappointment in her tone. "Then you will break. And then, my apprentice, you shall die," in the blink of an eye, Kreia removed a red lightsaber from under her sleeve where her only hand remained. She extended her lightsaber and leaped towards her former student, intending to kill her or force her to kill herself.

"Then let us finish this, Kreia," Meetra replied with a hint of sadness. She swiftly took out her blue lightsaber and took a defensive state. From this moment forward, Meetra knew only one of them was leaving this planet alive.

* * *

Meetra awoke from her sleep, gasping as she raised her head from her sleeping position. She quickly studied her surroundings before sighing in relief."Ugh, not that dream again," she sighed.

She was inside the Ebon Hawk and resting in the women's crew quarters. Her only company was Visas; the blinded Miraluka. Mira, for some reason, preferred to be inside the storage compartment. Meetra always assumed it had something to do with Mira being alone, but nevertheless, she never bothered trying to convince her.

"More like a nightmare," she said as she got up from her bed and headed to center of the Ebon Hawk. She tiptoed to avoid waking the others up. "Everyone should be asleep, I better check on them before I see Atton and see if he's not fallen asleep in the cockpit again."

First she checked on Mira. The bounty hunter was sleeping on the floor with a mattress Meetra had provided for her. That metal floor didn't look comfortable. She was glad that GOTO has no longer with them. She hated that droid with a passion and had HK-47 to thank for his disposal on Malachor. Her next destination was the male crew quarters. She tiptoed inside to see Mical and Canderous (AKA Mandalore) sleeping peacefully.

As Meetra entered the garage, she was suddenly startled when a familiar voice spoke right into her ear.

"Observation: it appears you are awake, master."

Meetra swiftly spun around, her lightsaber raised but not activated. She sighed after almost slicing the assassin droid down. "Jeez, HK, I could have cut you down!" she placed her lightsabre back onto her belt.

"Statement: you are always too cautious and worried, master," Hk-47 informed his current owner. "Recommendation: I recommend you tile down your worries. Meatbags always tend worry,"

"Just go back to sleep or rest mode whatever it is you droids do," Meetra ordered as she calmed herself, allowing the force to ease her worries.

HK-47 retreated into the corner of the garage before shutting himself down. Now alone again, Meetra checked on her old friend Bao-Dur. The mechanic was currently sleeping near the damaged area of the Hawk he had spent days working on. He had been hurt when they crashed into Malachor, causing him a head concussion. Fortunately, his injuries were not too severe. Only one more person to check on: Atton.

As Meetra made her way down to the cockpit, T3-M4 had bumped into her from behind. She smiled and knelt down to the droid's height. "Hey little guy."

T3-M4 beeped to inquire.

"Oh I'm okay. Just had a bad dream," Meetra assured, placing her hand upon the droid's head. "Don't worry about me. You just go back to what you were doing."

T3 beeped before departing elsewhere, probably to continue more repairs on the hawk.

The Jedi Exile moved towards the pilot seat of the Hawk and saw Atton sitting there, messing with the controls. "Ah, wasn't expecting you," the smuggler greeted. "Especially this late."

"Couldn't sleep," Meetra replied as she took a seat next to him.

"Nightmares again?" he asked as she nodded. "Figured as much. Especially after what happened with Kreia, Traya, or whatever the hell she called herself in the end. Having your own mentor turn against you would cause some nightmares. So, what brings you here?"

Meetra shrugged with a small smile. "I just wanted to see if you didn't fall asleep in the pilot seat again, and to see how close we are to Telos."

"Ah yes, Telos," Atton replied as he stood up to check the navigation map. "We shouldn't be there long, another day, give or take."

Telos suffered a good bit of damage from Darth Nihlus's attack but is slowly recovering. Thanks to the Republic, the planet did not fall a second time.

"The message I received from Admiral Onasi sounded pretty urgent," Meetra reminded. The admiral had contacted her shortly after Malachor to meet up with her and the crew. It sounded important and they had no time to waste.

"I bet, I don't really trust those Republic officials as much I would like to," Atton admitted, but nevertheless, he would gladly assist Meetra. "Would rather we refrain from being forced to work with them, trouble always follows us."

"He said something about a lead where Revan could be," Meetra revealed.

"What, for real?" Atton asked a bit loudly.

"Shh," Meetra shushed. "The others are still sleeping. Be quiet. And this is between us for now, I don't want the information about Revan to get out yet. As far as they are concerned, we're just going to Telos to repair the hawk."

"Alright," Atton agreed. "Who is this Carth though and what does he know about Revan?"

"Kreia said Revan was trying to hunt down the True Sith but vanished. Admiral Onasi was an old friend of his so he may know something about. That's why we need to head to Telos," Meetra explained.

Atton nodded but since they had time to kill, he could not help but decide to ask the obvious question that had been racing around his mind. "So this Revan. Why do you need to find him exactly?"

Meetra had to take a moment before she could answer. The memories of Malachor V begun to appear before her again. The many lives lost that day, the many soldiers that had counted on her to save them. She opened her eyes and continued. "Revan and I fought together in the wars. I spoke to Kreia before she became one with the Force. There are more Sith, the True Sith and from what I heard from Admiral Onasi, Revan went to search for them. I have to find him and the Sith. I can't let them return, not again"

Atton appeared satisfied with her answer. Although now he could use the Force, the ways of the Jedi and Sith still were a mystery to him. "Right. So we find this Admiral and we find Revan?"

"That's right," Meetra confirmed as she stood up from co-pilot chair. "They fought together against Malak 5 years ago. They were good friends from what I heard."

"Five years is a long time," Atton stated. "Not that I mean to state the obvious or anything. But say if we find this Carth and then we find Revan, what then?"

Meetra was silent for a moment. "I do not know, Atton. I need time to think of it. We will make our plan once we arrive at Telos."

"Sounds good to me," Atton agreed while he gestured behind him. "You should go on back to bed. I'll be all right on my own."

Meetra nodded and retreated to the back of the hawk. Before she left the cock-pit, she turned back. "Hey Atton?"

"Yeah?"

"...Thanks."

Atton raised an eyebrow. "For?"

"For sticking with me since we first met. I know Kreia made you but even after you told me the truth, you could have left at any time, but you stayed," Meetra explained while she offered a smile to the scoundrel. "Thank you."

Little did Meetra know is that there was more to it than she thought. He spun around and lazily saluted. "Hey, happy to help save the galaxy. Maybe we'll do it again tomorrow."

Meetra always liked Atton and his humour. "Goodnight Atton."

"Night Meetra," Atton replied before he got back to flying the ship.

With everyone checked on, Meetra retreated back inside the crew quarters and proceeded to get some sleep. Tomorrow, she planned to inform the crew of their mission and whenever or not they wanted to stay was their choice. She thought it was best they knew.

* * *

 **And that concludes the prologue, ladies and gentlemen. I hope you all enjoyed reading and we will keep updated with the story until the end. I'll see you next time with chapter 2.**


	2. Chapter 2: Telos

**Knights of the Old Republic 3: The Final Chapters**

 **Chapter 2: Telos**

 **Hey everyone, I'm back with chapter 2. Thanks for all the positive feedback so far on chapter 1. I hope to do you proud with the rest of the story. Without further or do, chapter 2.**

* * *

Although the Ebon Hawk was still in deep hyperspace travel, the crew were now awake and each participated in different activites. Bao-Dur, despite his injuries, continued to work repairs on the ship. After the crash on Malachor, he was pretty much the only one holding it together. T3 assited him the best he could. In the cargo hold, Meetra and Visas did some sparring using vibroblades.

Mira hated travel and could only keep herself entertained by pacing all around the ship. Atton as usual, remained in the cockpit to monitor the ship. As for Mandalore, he sat in garage with Bao-Dur while upgrading his blaster. The assassin droid HK-47 would patrol the ship, eager to shoot something. As for Mical, he was currently resting in the medial room while researching some of the datapads he brought with him from Dantooine.

While the sparring continued, Meetra knew it was time for to tell the crew of their next mission soon. She blocked Visas next strike before proceeding to disarm her by swinging the weapon from her hand. She placed her weapon down while catching her breath. "Good job, Visas. Keep your left guard up and your defence should improve."

"As you wish," Visas nodded with a small bow.

"Come on," Meetra requested, gesturing for the miraluka to follow. "It's time for a meeting."

The crew of the Ebon Hawk gathered around the centre of the ship after Meetra invited them to join. When everyone was present, she announced their next cause of action. "Everyone, it's time I tell you our next plan. An admiral from the Republic called me a couple of days after we left Malachor…" she was forced to pause for a moment at the mere mention of the planet. "…The admiral has news for us. We need his help."

The others looked puzzled for a moment as they knew nothing of the relationship between Revan and Meetra.

"Perhaps I should explain," Meetra suggested before clearing her throat. "Ten years ago, Revan and I fought in the Mandalorian together to protect worlds. After it was over, I returned to the Jedi and was exiled while Revan fell to the dark side. I wasn't around for the rest, but Revan had been captured and had his identity replaced. He was redeemed and saved the Republic from Malak, his former apprentice. Things were well, but sometime after, Revan left. His memories were coming back and he heard about a Sith threat, bigger than the one we just defeated. I don't expect all of you to understand, but I need to find him. I'm going to meet with the Admiral on Telos and then we're going to find Revan. If any of you want to come, I would deeply appreciate it. If you don't, I understand."

There was a brief silence between the crew members. The first to step up was Mandalore and to their surprise, he was removing his helmet for the first time in front of everyone. Behind that mask was no other than Canderous Ordo.

"I have something to confess," Canderous admitted, placing his helmet between one arm. "I know Revan. I was with him during his redeemed life as a Jedi. These two," he gestured towards the droids. "We're with us. Revan was the one who gave found the mask of Mandalore and allowed me to reassemble the clans to help the Republic fight against this new Sith threat you speak of."

Before anyone could respond, HK-47 spoke up. "Commentary: I am experiencing something unusual. My programming is beginning to activate some memories hidden with core…Yes, my programming core has established my memories of travelling with Revan, my true master!"

This news was certainly surprising to Meetra. Two of her companions had been allies of Revan. "Well, this is certainly a surprise. Any idea how you ended up in the storage compartment?"

"Answer: negative, master. Any memories past the events of the Star Forge are yet to be activated. Statement: now with my memories restored, I can finally return to my true master! If I recall correctly, this ship was used when my master was fighting against the meatbag Malak. Statement: the navigation computer is voiced locked. If my original master has indeed used this vessel to travel to the unknown regions, then maybe we can track his location."

"That's fantastic!" Meetra exclaimed, a bit too excited. "But it's best we wait until we meet the admiral and get some repairs on the hawk."

"Disappointment: very well, master," Hk-47 sighed.

Meetra gestured towards T3. "What about you, T3? Anything you know that could help us?"

T3 beeped negatively.

Meetra nodded before turning her attention back towards the crew. "Well, I guess that's everything. As I said before, are any of you with me or out?"

Again, there was a brief silence between the crew as each of them had to think about their next decision. They had all been together for a long while now, despite some of them not exactly toletting each other. The tension between Bao-Dur and Mandalore, Kreia and Atton, and GO-TO and Bao-Dur's remote. Fortunately, with Kreia and G0-T0 out of the crew now, the tension had eased.

Atton was the first to speak up as he stood next to Meetra. "Well, it's been a crazy few weeks of being chased by Sith and being held in more cells I need for one lifetime. Beside, you need someone to fly the ship. I'm in," he assured.

Meetra raised a small smile. She couldn't be more grateful to have a companion than Atton with her, even despite his past as a Sith solider. She shifted her attention towards the rest of the crew.

"I'm with you too, General," Bao-Dur said. "Where we're going, you'll need a tech to hold the ship together. With the amount of crashes the ship as had, I'm surprised she's still holding together," Here, he glanced towards Atton.

"Hey," Atton protested with a frown.

Canderous was the next to speak up. "I was against and with Revan. He is without a doubt the best warrior I have ever come across. Without him, clan Ordo would never have been established. As much as I don't agree with Jedi and their pacifist ways, Revan taught me a lot about honour and glory. You can count me in is well. If these Sith are real, I'm expecting a battle and I'm always up for a good fight."

"Well, that's three," Meetra counted, turning towards the remainder of the group who had yet to answer.

Mical spoke up. "I may be a simple historian, but if there's one thing that this journey has taught me, is that you are what I Jedi should truly be, Meetra Surik. You helped those in need wherever we travelled and despite the dangers, you never gave up. If this Sith threat it true, you will need any assistance available. If we succeed in finding Revan and stopping them, the Jedi order will also need to be established. I vow to stay with you until the end."

"I would welcome your help, Mical," Meetra expressed her appreciation to the disciple.

"You have taught me what I means to be at peace with the force," Visas spoke up, her voice spoke softly as usual. "As I said on the Ravager ship, you are my master now and I will follow you wherever your path ends."

That left only one human left to answer: Mira. The bounty hunter spoke up. "As much as it's been fun travelling around the galaxy, I'm afraid you're going to have to count me out. Being it Malachor, Hanharr, it…. It brought back too many memories with my family and the war. I'm sorry."

Meetra approached the younger woman, placing her hand upon her shoulder. "I understand, Mira. I know you have good in your heart and would help those in need. The force will guide you to your own path."

That's when Meetra recalled Kreia's final words, foreshadowing what would happen to her friends. Her comment on Mira was "She will stop hunting life, and instead, live. She was not born to be a predator, despite her true father and the life she led within the shadow of Nar Shadda."

Mira nodded, though she still sometimes doubted the way the force worked, even now she could use it. "I'll come with you to Telos and stay with you until you guys leave. Then I'll take a shuttle back to Nar Shaddaa."

"Guess that means I'm no longer your bounty," Meetra assumed, half-joking yet half-serious.

"As long as the one else if offering for Jedi," Mira responded with a small smile. During her time with the Ebon hawk crew, she found herself understanding the ways of the Jedi more and how they played an importance to the galaxy. She respected the former exile, not only as an ally, but as a friend.

"Now, let's get to Telos, everyone," Meetra announced. "We'll be there soon."

* * *

The Ebon Hawk arrived on Telos not much longer after their talk. Atton begun to descend towards the hanger they landed in the first time with Meetra sitting beside him in the co-pilot chair. The hawk come to a slow descent towards the hanger. The landing was a little rough due to the damage it sustained but Atton was a good enough pilot to land the ship without causing more damage.

The entire crew exited the ship and were greeted by Lieutenant Grenn, accompanied with two guards.

"I wasn't expecting you to be back any time soon, Jedi," Grenn commented. "But, Admiral Onasi insisted that you come to meet him as soon as possible."

"Not going to arrest this time, Lieutenant?" Meetra joked, recalling their first arrival on Telos.

"What? Oh, very funny," Grenn commented. Despite her joke, he gave her a firm answer. "Telos owes all of you a debt of gratitude for defeating the Sith," He glanced over Meetra and examined their ship. "Your ship looks a little…"

"Smashed?" Bao-Dur suggested.

"We'll have our best mechanics team take a look," Grenn offered, nodding towards one of his guards as an order. "Now if you would all like to follow me; I'll take you inside and show you some commendations while we attend to your ship."

"Where is the Admiral?" Meetra inquired.

"He has arranged to meet you by the apartment complex, but he is not here yet. Admiral Onasi is currently on duty but he should return within a couple of hours," Green answered before gesturing them to follow. "Follow me inside."

The crew begun to follow with the exception of Bao-Dur. He caught Meetra's attention. "General, if it's all right with you, I'm going to stay here and help the crew on repairs."

"Of course, Bao-Dur," Meetra agreed. "Besides, you're probably better than any team put together."

While Bao-Dur stayed in the hanger, the rest of the crew entered the station, however since there was a couple of hours before the admiral arrived, some of the crew decided to go elsewhere. Atton and Mira decided to relax in the cantina for a while, Mical wanted to catch up on some research in one of the libraries within Telos, Canderous wanted to search for any possible Mandalorians. That left Meetra, Visas, and the droids to attend the apartment Grenn had arranged for them.

Since there was a bigger crew this time, the apartment they were staying in was much bigger and had enough beds for each of the crew. How Grenn remembered the number of members was a mystery.

With some time to kill, Meetra decided to check up on an old friend. She prepared to leave but first turned towards the blinded jedi. "Visas, I'm going to check on someone. Do you want to come?"

Visas was already meditating on one of the beds, sitting with her legs crossed. "I thank you for your offer but I will remain here and centre myself. Malachor has reminded me much of the dark side's influence. I must be certain that it will not corrupt me."

Meetra merely nodded before leaving the apartment. Hopefully HK-47 would not cause any trouble with Visas or any of Telos citizens. She was confident T3 would keep him under control until she returned.

It did not take long for Meetra to get to her destination: The Ithorian compound. Along the way, she could feel a presence within the force. Compared to her last visit, Telos felt more…Peaceful. It was as if the evil and dark side within this planet had vanished. While the dark side would never truly be gone, at least this was one more planet on the path to recovery.

Before long, Meetra entered the compound and approached the desk where a single Ithorian greeted her.

" _/Greetings human/,_ " He greeted politely within his native language. " _/How may I help you?/_ "

"Is Chodo Habat here?" Meetra inquired.

"/ _Ahh, you must be Meetra Surik,/_ " The receptionist assumed. She nodded and he continued. "/ _Chodo spoke much about you. He will be happy to hear you have returned. You can visit him in his office./_ "

"Thank you," Meetra thanked and proceeded to locate Chodo.

The Ithorians were a peaceful race of species and were doing everything within their power to heal Telos. With the exchange and Czerka no longer established, nothing could prevent them from doing their work. Telos would be restored in no time.

Meetra eventually arrived at Chodo's office and smiled to see the leader of the herd speaking with his right-hand Moza. She waited until they were finished speaking before making her presence known. "Hello Chodo."

Upon hearing the familiar voice, Chodo turned around and was delighted to see a familiar human. " _/Meetra Surik!/_ " he approached her, placing both his hands upon her shoulders. " _/I am so glad to see that you have returned. I must thank you for saving Telos. My herd and I owe you a debt that can never be fully repaid./_ "

"I'm just glad to help, Chodo," Meetra assured with a smile.

Chodo placed his hands down while he noted there was something different about Meetra. " _/The last time we met, your connection to the force was weaken, broken, almost gone. I sense that you feel different. Your body feels calm and…Peaceful. I no longer sense the wound. Have you fully re-established your connection to the force?/_ "

"It's…A little difficult to explain, Chodo," Meetra admitted. "I feel…Different from the last time I came to you. My connection to the force is a lot stronger. It may even be stronger than before…I feel a sense of peace I haven't felt in years, yet I feel different, but in a good way. In time, I may understand it further."

" _/The force does indeed work in mysterious ways,/_ " Chodo agreed. While he may be a force adept, he would never truly understand how it work. Then again, did any Jedi or Sith ever truly understand the force? With no reason to think about it further, Chodo changed the subject. " _/While I am more than happy you have returned; may I ask what brings you back to Telos?/_ "

Meetra hesitated for a moment. Keeping the news about the Sith threat a secret would prevent panic but she felt she could trust Chodo and Moza with this information. "I assumed you know the story of Revan?"

Chodo was slightly surprised to the sudden mention of the infamous Revan. Howver, Moza was the one to respond. " _/Revan? The dark lord of the Sith who was wounded in battle but would serve the Jedi again with a new identity?/_ "

Meetra nodded in confirmation. "He travelled to the unknown regions to find the truth Sith threat. That was years ago and we're not sure if he's alive or not. I'm here to meet one of Revan's former allies to find where he went."

This was certainly a surprise to the Ithorians. Nevertheless, Chodo understood. " _/I wish the force keep you safe on your journey, Meetra Surik. Moza and I will keep your quest a secret./_ "

"Thank you, Chodo," Meetra thanked. "I also wish you the best with restoring Telos to its former glory.

While he appreciated her compliment, he could not help but notice the tone within her voice. It sounded sad. " _/Forgive me, but you speak as if we're never going to see each other again./_ "

"Chodo, where I'm going will be dangerous," Meetra confessed while rubbing one hand against the other. "There's a chance that…That I might not be coming back. If the true Sith are there, they have to be stopped no matter what. The price of stopping them may cost my own life."

This was indeed sad news for the Ithorians to here. The former exile and done so much for them, yet they did little in return. They would never be able to truly pay her back for her generosity. Without another word, Meetra turned away and quietly walked away out from Chodo's office.

Chodo watched as the other Jedi left and spoke in a low voice. " _/May the force be with you, Meetra Surik./_ "

* * *

While the others got settled into their temporary home, Atton had already got adjusted into the cantina. He sat alone, his legs resting on a table while he casually held juma in one hand. The time he spent with Meetra had taught him many things, about life, the galaxy and morality, but nothing would ever throw him off his enjoyment of drinking and relaxing in the cantinas.

"Well, this sure beats staying in a room," Atton spoke to himself before taking one huge sip from his drink. He placed the cup down and turned to the waiter. "More juma, keep 'em coming."

With sometime to kill, Atton couldn't be happier. Playing Pazaak while drinking kept him entertained enough until he was needed elsewhere. As Atton kept to himself, he spotted a familiar bounty hunter in the corner of his eye who was standing heading his way.

"Hey ginger," Atton called out.

Mira, taking small offensive to Atton's comment, marched over towards him. "Call me that again, Atton and I'll personally blast you between the eyes."

"Ahh, go sit on a rocket," Atton responded after he picked up his second drink. "You're too head-strong, that's your problem. Have a drink and chill."

Mira-remembering Meetra's teachings-used her small connection to the force to calm herself. She took a seat opposite of the scoundrel, sitting with her arms crossed.

Now that she was present and seated, Atton had to ask the obvious: "So after everything we've been through, you're really heading back to Nar Shaddaa?"

"Got a problem with that?" Mira questioned.

"Hey, just asking," Atton assured, raising his hands in defence.

"Well don't," Mira snapped. "I can take care of myself."

Atton merely shrugged to her bossy attitude, growing accustomed to it at this point. "Just trying to be friendly."

"Atton, I appreciate the concern while sometimes I feel like punching you, but yes," Mira confirmed, speaking in her usual fast-paced tone. "They'll be a shuttle for me around half hour."

Atton took another sip from his juice before replying. "Well I gotta say it's kind of a shame. You got talent and Meetra might have been killed by now had you not helped us back on Nar Shadda.

Mira was surprised to hear a compliment from the scoundal. Most of the time they were always at each other's throats. "Well...Thanks. Still, look on the brightside: one less space out of your ship."

"Here, here," Atton replied, raising his drink.

* * *

 **And that concludes the second chapter, folks. Now I'll probably get a review or two on the some of the cast not being in character with the game. If so, I apologise for that and am doing my best to capture BioWare's writing. Nevertheless, chapter 3 will be here soon.**


	3. Chapter 3: An old friend

**Knights of the Old Republic 3: The Final Chapters**

 **Chapter 3: An old friend**

 **And we are back with the third chapter. Got to say, it's been a blast writing this story so far. I know we're not far in, but I'm loving every second of it.**

* * *

Two hours passed since the crew of the Ebon Hawk arrived. Meetra had received news that Admiral Onasi had arrived and was waiting for her within a private room. Meetra was escorted to the room by Green, accompanied with Canderous, T3 and HK-47.

"So, do you think he may really have information on Revan?" Canderous asked beneath his helmet

"I have no idea, but it's all we got on him so far," Meetra said.

"Still, it would be good to see him again," Canderous admitted. "He was the one that inspired me to become Mandalore and change the ways our people. Revan was the only one I would consider a true equal."

"Statement: going to see the master again is bringing something related to joy in my behaviour core," HK-47 spoke up as they followed Grenn through the station of Telos towards the apartment complex.

Finally, they arrived to their destination within one of the apartments. Grenn, seeing that he was no longer needed, decided to wait outside and let Meetra and her companions inside. They entered with the door closing behind them and standing in the center of the room was no other than Carth Onasi.

"Admiral Onasi," Meetra greeted as she approached the Admiral and shook hands.

"A pleasure to see you again, General Surik," Carth greeted with a nod.

"It's just Meetra now, Carth. I'm a General no longer," Meetra reminded as she crossed her arms together.

"Of course," Carth nodded and respected her wish not to be referred to as a General anymore. It was bad enough with Bao-Dur always calling her said title. He glanced over her shoulder and spotted two familiar faces, along with a Mandalorian. "HK-47. Never expected to see you again."

"Statement: ah yes, the meat bag pilot who accompanied my master," HK-47 responded. He programmed his voice modulator to mimic Carth's "Mockery: oh master, I cannot trust you! I cannot trust anyone again!"

Carth frowned in response. "Very funny, HK," He said before approaching the smaller droid. "T3. I'm glad you see you as well."

T3 beeped in agreement.

Carth turned his attention towards the Mandalorian in the grey armour. "I don't think we've been acquainted."

"Don't remember me, Onasi?" Canderous spoke with a small chuckle. He removed his helmet, revealing his older and bearded face.

"Canderous? Now this I don't not expect," Carth admitted, surprised to see one of his former allies. However, seeing him in the suit made him nervous. "Back to the old Mandalorian ways?"

"I am Mandalore now. I am the ruler of our kind," Canderous explained proudly. "But don't worry, I'm not planning to attack the Republic…Not anytime soon anyway."

That was certainly reassuring. Fortunately, Carth did not have the time to worry about them. His main concern was with the former exile standing before him. "On behalf of Telos, I'd first like to thank you for saving us. I couldn't prevent my home from falling during the wars against Malak. I'm glad you were to here to prevent its destruction a second time."

"I'm just glad to help out," Meetra assured with a nod. "From your message, it sounded pretty urgent. You said you had information on Revan?"

Carth did not respond for a moment. Instead, he nervously ran his hand through the back of his hair. "Um, I have to be honest here. I, uh, don't know anything about Revan."

His confession caused a small silence throughout the room. It was a good thing HK-47 didn't have his blaster, otherwise he may have shot the admiral for his false information.

"I don't understand," Meetra said, placing one hand upon her hip.

"Perhaps I should explain," Carth agreed. He brought up a database that contained records of Meetra. "I downloaded your records from the Republic history. The Jedi sentenced you for going to war and how you wandered around the galaxy. I thought…You may have found any trace of Revan. Anything at all?"

Meetra shook her head in response. While slightly annoyed that Carth lied to her, she understood for the most part. "Sorry Carth, I haven't seen any sign of Revan. No-one has."

Carth lowered his head, disappointed that there was not a single clue to finding his old friend.

"You knew him personally, didn't you?" Meetra questioned.

Carth nodded. "I served with Revan during the war against Darth Malak. Canderous, T3, HK and I were all part of the crew. Like I told you in the message, he went to go and find places that he thought were too dangerous to bring anyone else along. He had me stay here to try and make the Republic strong again. I waited, waited five years for him to return. Nothing…But I know he isn't dead. He can't be. I know he's alive, he's just out there somewhere."

As Carth concluded, Meetra crossed her arms, pondering if she wanted to help Carth with the small information she had from her own. It was clear Carth wanted to find Revan just as badly as she did. "Carth…I might know where to find Revan."

Carth's hopes begun to rise for a brief moment. "You do? You have a lead?"

"Possible," Meetra replied. "HK and I have reason to believe Revan used the Ebon Hawk to travel to the Unknown Regions. The navigation computer was voiced locked, but HK-47 can use his voice modulator to unlock it. There's a chance Revan didn't wipe the records."

Carth almost exclaimed. "That's great! Fantastic. Best news I've heard in a long time!"

Meetra nodded. "We got some of the mechanics working on the hawk at the moment so it'll be some time before we can actually go and check. I hope you don't mind waiting."

Although anxious, Carth nodded in agreement. He waited more than five years, he could wait a little longer. "Of course not. While the ship's under repair, I'll be in my office. Here's my communicator frequency."

Meetra accepted it. "I'll contact you as soon as we're ready,"

With their business settled for the time being, Meetra felt the urge to eat something. Bidding farewell to the admiral, the small group exited the room. Canderous was the last leave, stopping by the exit of the door.

"Well Onasi, it looks our paths will cross again," Canderous noted with a gruff. Without another word, he placed his helmet back on and proceeded to leave.

The door automatically closed, leaving Carth alone once again. He slowly sat down against a chair, deep in thought as to what would happen next. It had been a long time since he and Revan last crossed paths. It only felt like yesterday when they first met at the escape pod aboard the Endar Spire. Although thei relationship was strained and sometimes arguments broke out between the two, Carth no longer considered Revan to be an ally. He was a friend. Revan could have eaisly reclaimed his title as the dark lord, but instead he chose loyalty over power.

Carth turned up towards the ceiling as if he could see his former friend right now. Carth may not understand the force but from what he learned while travelling with Revan, everyone was connected to the force. It was with them all.

"Hang on, Revan," Carth spoke silently. "We'll find you soon."

* * *

Eager to find something to eat, Meetra located the nearest canteen. It didn't serve the best food in the galaxy but it was better than nothing. The former exile joined Mical and Visas at the table with a tray of food.

Mical examined his food with a fork, pulling a somewhat disgust face. "Well...It looks edible at least. Still I have always been taught to be grateful for anything we can receive."

"Better than the snacks we stocked up in the hawk," Meetra added with a small tone of humour. "That's what you get for putting Atton in charge of supplies."

Mical could not help but chuckle slightly.

Meetra practically ate every single crumb on her tray before Mical was even half done. Saving the galaxy would leave a strong sense of hunger for anyone, jedi or not.

Mical was polite enough to allow Meetra to finish before inquiring as to their next step: "If I may ask, how is it you've become to know Admiral Onasi?"

He hoped his question did not bring up anymore memories. Meetra quietly finished her drink first.

"While I was in exile, the admiral contact me not too long ago. I was working at a farm on Maridun when I get his transmissions. He didn't say why exactly but needed to see me urgent. He sent the ship the Harbinger to pick me up and escort me to Telos. One thing led to another, but we had to leave Telos due to some...Complications. I guess he wanted to see me about Revan."

Mical nodded, satisfied with her answer. "Finding Revan must be very urgent. With the Sith threat over, I assumed the war is over now."

"Believe me Mical, I wish it was," Meetra agreed with a small hint of sadness. It seemed wherever she went people got hurt. A small part of her wanted to believe the Jedi master's words about wherever she went people would follow.

Meetra had to close her eyes to prevent any emotion from drifting. How could they have done that to her? She spent so long gathering them and then they were going to separate her connection to the force, believing her to be a threat. Her own teacher Kavar, someone she trusted had helped them to. It made her think, what if Kreia was right? What if the Jedi were no better than the Sith?

Mical's voice snapped her out of her trance. "Are you okay? You appear to be distressed?"

Meetra shook her head. "I'm...Fine…" she slowly answered. "Mical, can I ask you something?"

"Of course," Mical assured. "How may I help?"

Meetra hesitated her next question, feeling pressure around her. Even with the many locals sitting around her, she felt as if they were in a room alone. Even Visas' presence felt unnoted. She was blind, not deaf. "Mical...Why is it that you wanted to follow me?"

She had to know. If by any chance that the master's words were true, then she could not afford to carry her team around any longer. No one should deserve to get hurt by her own actions.

Mical raised an eyebrow. "An odd question I admit, but you seek an answer. Very well. I'm here because I believe in what we are doing together. I choose to follow you in hopes I could do some good in this galaxy."

Needless to say, Meetra was not exactly satisfied. "Mical, how do you know that you are with me willing? How do you know?"

Mical shrugged. "I simply know. I cannot show you anything as physical proof, but I can give you my word that I followed you on my own will. May I ask why you are are inquiring? I have been travelling with you since Dantooine and that was at least three weeks ago."

"I believe something has occurred after we returned to Dantooine a second time," Visas spoke up for the first time since they arrived. "The masters, the enclave. Something has happened."

There was no point in holding back the truth now. Meetra sighed. "The masters told me I was a danger to everyone around me. They said through the force I form connections with everyone around me. This is why those soldiers followed me to Malachor."

This certainly explained her distance attitude since they left Telos. Visas could feel the guilt within her new master.

Mical however, disagreed. "I never once doubt the teachings of the jedi, but they are wrong. You were alone for a very long time, separating yourself from others. This can lead you to make easy judgements. These judgements are made in ignorance. I can assure you that you do not represent danger to any of us. We follow you, but it is not of the will of the force. We follow you because you are a born leader, one who could lead others to the path of good. You care for everyone around you, not because of the force, but because you choose to. I watched you help others on the planets we traveled. You did not help them because it was the will of the force. You did it because it was the right thing to do. Use the strength of the others you connect to. Inspire people, continue to give them hope because that is what you are. Hope."

That was quite a bit of information to process but the scientists words appeared to ease her worries. Meetra was beginning to feel that he was right. She forced a smile and placed her hand upon Mical's. "Thank you, Mical. I am grateful for your help."

"It was nothing really," Mical assured with a nod. "But know that I stand with you no matter the odds."

At that moment, Meetra's comlink begun to beep on her arm. She pressed it to answer. "Meetra here."

" _General,_ " Bao-Dur greeted on the other end. " _The Ebon Hawk's repairs are almost finished, we should be good to do around twenty minutes._ "

"I'll get everyone ready," Meetra replied. "Thank you, Bao-Dur."

"I guess that's our cue to leave soon," Mical assumed after taking the final bite of his food.

"You said it," Meetra agreed.

The group of three continued to finish their food in peace. That was until the peace was ruined by a disturbance. Yelling from the foodstand caused everyone to look over in curiosity. A male Duros was shouting at the Ithorian cook.

" _/What do you mean, "not enough credits"?!/_ " the Duros yelled in his native language.

" _/Sir, the sign outside clearly says that the prices have increased,/_ " the Ithorian chef replied, attempting to peacefully defuse the situation. " _/Now would you please leave? You are disturbing the customers and I don't want to call security./_ "

The Duros proceeded to pick up a jar and smashed it against the wall. " _/I'm not leaving until I get more food!/_ "

"It appears we have trouble," Visas stated.

"I'll take care of this," Meetra assured, standing out from the booth and slowly marching her way towards the food stand.

" _/Sir! Please stop!/_ " the Ithorian chef begged, but his pleas fell on deaf ears.

The Duros was about to turn around and attack the chef. That was until a nearby voice broke him out of his attack. "Hey!" he turned around to see a young woman standing only a few feet behind him.

Meetra glared towards him, hand on her hip. "The chef said to leave. Now got out before someone gets hurt."

The Duros merely laughed in response, amused by her threats. " _/And who's going to make me, little girl? You?/_ "

Meetra kept her calm composure. She tried one last time to get him to leave peacefully not intending to start the fight. "I wouldn't underestimate me. Last chance, leave now or I throw you out?"

The Duros chuckled once again. Slowly, he cracked his hands and moved towards the young girl. Without another word, the Duros threw a punch. To his surprise, his punch completely missed. " _/What?!/_ "

Fast as lighting, Meetra countered with a kick to his stomach before grabbing his arm and throwing him onto the ground. The Duros fell before he even had the chance to comprehend what just happened. The customers moved out from their seats to avoid getting in the fighter's way.

Enraged, the Duros leaped up and threw a fury of punches but each one seemed to miss. How could she move so fast? One more punch was thrown but Meetra swiftly grabbed it before spinning around and elbowing him in his lower torso. With a pull of determination, Meetra flipped him over her shoulder, narrowly missing a table. She was more concerned with property damage than the Duros well-being.

Meetra centered herself, keeping a calm mind. "Please stay down. Don't make this worse than it has to be."

The Duros did not listen. He leaped up and moved forward, his first raised with a roar of anger. Meetra dodged yet again, spinning around and calmly throwing him towards the food stand. His head fell into a tray of food, causing the locals to laugh in amusement.

Despite not landing a single blow yet, the Duros did not know when to take a hint. One more time, he leaned up and wiped the smeared food from his head before attacking yet again. Meetra swiftly grabbed him and slammed his head into wall. The impact left him dazed and confused. He stumbled as Meetra approached and delivered a final kick directly into his stomach, knocking him to the ground.

This time, the Duros was finally subdued. He groaned and attempted to get up but the injuries he received were too painful to tolerate. With the Duros down, the crowd began to cheer for the former exile.

Meetra approached the ithorian chef who was still behind the counter. "Are you okay?"

" _/I will be fine,/_ " the ithorian chef assured. " _/Thank you for your help, madam./_ "

With that little nuisance taken care of, Meetra joined Mical and Visas as the three left the canteen. Security would take care of the Duros.

"That was quite a display," Mical noted, impressed her hand to hand combat skills.

"Just a little thing I picked up while I was at the Telos academy," Meetra replied but appreciated the disciple's comment nevertheless. "Let's get back to Ebon Hawk."

* * *

The group gathered around the newly repaired Ebon Hawk. The garage was now fully repaired, Bao-Dur was going to have to find a new hobby to keep him entertained during journeys. As a sign of gratitude for saving their planet, Carth had arranged for some supplies and fuel to be stored on their ship. Meetra did a headcount to make certain everyone was present as the workers finished loading up their ship.

Carth joined them at the hangar as well. "Everything prepared?"

"We're just waiting on Atton," Meetra replied while crossing her arms and tapping her foot impatiently. Where could he have got to now?

At that moment, her comlink beeped and she answered. " _Atton here. I'm just around the corner._ "

"Where have you been?" Meetra questioned while trying to hide her annoyance. "We've been waiting ten minutes for you."

" _Relax,_ " Atton assured. " _I'll explain in a sec._ "

Her comlink turned off, ending their call.

HK-47 who had been listening in as usual spoke up: "Suggestion: master if the scoundrel is causing you problems, I would be more than happy to perform techniques of torture for his laziness. My protocols for such action are still installed."

"That...Will be unnecessary," Meerta declined, somewhat creeped out that HK-47 had such methods installed.

HK-47 sighed. Clearly he was eager to kill someone. The hanger door opened and Atton came running in, holding a bag under one arm.

"Sorry I'm late," Atton apologized between breaths. "I was talking with Mira. She's just got a shuttle to Nar Shadda."

That's when Meetra remembered the bounty hunter wouldn't be joining them further. Although Meetra would not deny to missing her presence, she respected her decision nevertheless.

Bao-Dur peered of Meetra's shoulder. "What's in the bag?"

"Just some candy snacks for the journey," Atton replied, causing the others to glare towards him. Confused, Atton shrugged. "What?"

Meetra shook her head. "Nothing. Come on, let's board the ship."

There were no protests as everyone entered the ship they practically called home at this point. Their next journey awaits.

* * *

 **And that brings us to the end of his chapter, folks. Chapter 4 will be here within two-three days. Stay tuned.**


	4. Chapter 4: Journey begins

**Knights of the Old Republic 3: The Final Chapters**

 **Chapter 4: Journey begins**

 **Hey guys, back with chapter 4. Some of this was going to be placed in the next chapter, but it didn't feel right to me so you guys and gals have a little more content. Enjoy.**

* * *

After doing one more double check to see if everyone was present, the group boarded the ship they practically called home now. Everyone else settled while Meetra, Atton, Carth and HK-47 made their way into the communications room.

Carth observed the ship he once travelled in while saving the galaxy from Malak. "Been a long time since I was last in this ship. I'm surprised she's still around to be honest. Did you know this ship once belong to a crime lord?"

"Really?" Atton questioned, trying to sound interested. "And you stole it?"

"I wouldn't say stole it," Carth replied, rubbing his hand against the back of his head. "More of a take-the-ship-or-die-in-a-exploding-planet situation."

"It's ours now, that's all we need to know," Meetra assured. By now they had reached the communications room and in front of them was the locked navicomputer. "HK, do your thing."

HK-47 approached and activated his voice modulator to sound like his former master. "Voice activation: "Revan"."

Although it was merely a voice impression, it brought back further memories for Meetra. The day when Revan and Malak recruited her and other fellow jedi to fight the mandalorians. Even to this day, Meetra would never forget how that was the day she truly abandoned the jedi order, but nevertheless, Meetra did not regret it.

The navigation computer snapped her out of her thoughts. HK-47 sucessfully unlocked it.

"We're in," Carth stated, immediately jumping into the seat to search for the records. "This shouldn't take me too long."

Meetra watched in anticipation as the admiral frantically searched through all of the old records. This should hopefully given them the answers they were seeking. Carth's fingers are typing faster than a droid ever could.

While they waited in anticipation, Meerta flinched slightly when Atton begun to crunch a piece of candy out loud. She turned towards him, giving him a knowing stare. Atton silently slipped out of the room to avoid further disturbance.

Carth finished searching and had to avoid slamming his hand in frustration. "Damn. There's nothing on here that tells us where his last location was."

Meetra sighed. They were so close to finding him, this navigation computer was their only lead.

"Wait," Carth interrupted as he found another file quite close to the last date. "I got something. It's not the location where he last went but it's the previous planet the Hawk was stationed...Coruscant."

"Coruscant?" Meetra questioned, raising a curious eyebrow. "That's where the Jedi Temple use to be. Think we could find a lead there?"

"Well it's a long shot, but that's our only lead so far," Carth replied but even he had doubts. "But we'll need a little more to go on. It's a big planet and-"

Carth was cut off by the familiar screech of T3-M4. The droid came flying into the communications room, Bao-Dur ran in not too long after.

Meetra quickly stopped the droid before he got himself hurt. "T3! What's the matter with you?"

"What happened?" Carth asked Bao-Dur.

"I'm not sure," Bao-Dur replied. "I was checking him over and I think I found a message. I tried to play it and he just went crazy."

Meetra raised an eyebrow as she knelt down to the droid's height to calm him down. "T3, is there something you're not telling us?"

T3 attempted to beep his way out of it but it was quite clear he had been caught. The droid activated his holomessage where it displayed a familiar face.

The woman on the message made certain no one was watching before speaking. " _T3, what I am about to tell you must remain extremely confidential unless otherwise. You helped us escape Taris and this is why I am entrusting you with this message. It's about Revan. My husband is beginning to worry. He tells me more of his memories have returned and they have been troubling him ever since. He tells me he needed to go somewhere, somewhere far into the unknown regions to end something. I worry for him. Revan would not allow me to follow. He is a great warrior but I am worried he may not return. T3, I know he is taking you with him and that is why I need to to act as a beacon. If Revan gets lost out there, I need you return to the Republic and get help. Please T3, I can't lose Revan...I love him._ "

The message ended as everyone watched in surprise.

Carth leaned back in his chair upon recognizing his old friend. "Bastilla…"

Meetra also remembered the former Jedi back during her training days. The last time they met was just before the mandalorian wars. She turned towards the droid. "T3, why did you keep this from us?"

T3 beeped a bunch of responses to justify his actions.

"I understand that Bastila did not want you to tell anyone but Carth's with the Republic," Meetra reminded, gesturing towards said admiral. "Please, tell us where Revan is."

T3 begun to give an explanation as Atton and Canderous joined them, curious as to the commotion.

"What's he saying?" Canderous questioned with his arms crossed.

"T3 says his memory core was damaged not too long after Bastila recorded that message," Meetra explained. "He can't remember where Revan went….But he thinks Bastila can help."

Carth threw his arms up behind the back of his head. "Then that's our lead. Unless you can repair T3's memory."

"I already tried that, General," Bao-Dur explained as he knelt down to inspect T3. "His main memory core is locked deep. Even if I take him apart and inspect it, there's no way to restore it unless I have the access code to it."

Meetra crossed her arms, trying to figure out their next plan of action. "T3, what are the odds Bastila knows your memory code?"

T3 beeped affirmative.

"He says there's a ninety percent chance," Meetra confirmed, her hopes now rising that they have an actually lead to follow. "It looks like we're going to Coruscant."

"Time for another adventure it would seem," Atton stated the obvious. He proceeded towards the cockpit, Carth following him shortly afterwards.

Meetra grabbed the intercom and announced: "Everyone strap yourself in. We're taking off soon."

T3 slipped away shortly afterwards with Bao-Dur following him. He may not be able to decrypt the code but that wouldn't stop him from trying either way.

They had a destination with a strong lead to follow but nevertheless, she turned towards the mandalorian leader for more advice. "Canderous, are you definitely sure Revan told you nothing else."

"Not a thing," Canderous confirmed. A mandalorian had many codes of honour and one of those was to never lie to both an ally and enemy.

Meetra opened her mouth to reply but two voices from the cockpit interrupted her.

"I'm the admiral and I've flown this ship before!"

"Hey I've been flying this ship for weeks now, I'm flying!"

"Bao-Dur told me you crashed force knows how many times!"

"None of that were my fault!"

Meetra stepped into the cockpit to witness Carth and Atton arguing about who was going to fly the ship. Just when she thought the tension between all the crew had ended, she was back to playing the mother role. "You two! There's two chairs, why are you both arguing?"

Carth and Atton went silent as they failed to remember this was a two pilot ship.

"All right but let me fly in the main seat," Carth requested. "I've got the clearance codes for the hangers on Coruscant,"

"If you say so," Atton replied, taking a seat within the co-pilot chair. He begun to start up the ship. "Better strap in, we'll be taking off in a minute or two."

Meetra nodded and immediately ran towards the centre of the hawk, taking a seat with the others. In seconds, the Ebon Hawk raised from ground and departed from the hanger. Carth entered the clearance codes to leave the planet while Atton punched in the coordinates for Coruscant.

"Hyperspace coordinates set," Atton stated.

Carth gripped the handle and with a slow push, the Ebon Hawk entered hyperspace, their destination Coruscant. As soon as they were in space, everyone decided to remain to their own activities to keep entertained until they reached their planet.

Meetra took this time to train a couple of her friends. Visas was fairly skilled at lightsaber training and Atton had previous melee skills when he was a Sith. Bao-Dur and Mical could use some more practise. Both men wielded double-bladed lightsabers but were not skillful enough to use them properly yet. Since Bao-Dur was busy with T3, she decided to give Mical some private lessons within the cargo hold.

Meetra ignited her blue lightsaber and stood in a stance. "Ready Mical?"

Mical nodded and activated his green double-bladed lightsaber. "I am ready. What would you have me do?"

"Let's practise on your defense today," Meetra instructed as she adjusted her lightsaber power. "Make sure you set your lightsaber to training mode."

"Understood," Mical assured and adjusted his own lightsaber.

While the two force wielders spared, the assassin droid HK-47 paced around the ship impatiently. It had been way too longer since he even shot his blaster. His programming demanded it but regardless, he had to listen to his master even if he disagreed. Without another word, he decided to go and visit Bao-Dur. Hopefully he would find amusement there.

In the cockpit, Carth and Atton did one more double check to see if their course was correct. All they could now was wait.

"We should be at Coruscant in around four days," Carth stated as he leaned back in his chair. "Well, this is the boring part."

"You think that's boring?" Atton questioned, crossing his arms and lifting his feet on the dashboard. "Try being locked in a cell on Peragus for days with no food or water."

That last comment reminded Carth of recent reports. "The Lieutenant Gren told me about the explosion at Peragus. I know you guys were there and not responsible, but you mind telling what exactly?"

"What is this, an interrogation?" Atton inquired. He had enough of that last time.

"Hey, I'm just asking," Carth assured, raising his hands in defense. "Besides, we've got some time to kill."

Atton sighed. "Fine, fine. Only cause I got nothing else to do. Well it started off when I met Meetra in my cell…."

It took Atton a lot longer than he anticipated to tell the admiral their story on Peragus but finally, he came to the conclusion of his story. "-and then we arrived at Telos where we were met with 'loving arms' by your Lieutenant. That's pretty much it,"

Carth processed the scoundrels story. "Well I appreciate you telling me. I can't imagine how difficult that must have been. Still, we've beaten the Sith for now."

"Here, here," Atton agreed while digging his hand into vest jacket. He pulled out a familiar pack of cards. "You want to play some Pazaak?"

"Request: may I join?"

The two turned to see HK-47 standing behind them. How long he had been standing there for was a mystery?

"No," Atton did not hesitate to decline. "I don't play with droids."

"And why's that?" Carth questioned.

HK-47 spoke up before Atton could reply. "Answer: I believe that it may have something to do with the fact the meatbag has previously lost many games with T3-M4."

Carth had to contain his laughter. "You lost to an utility droid?"

Atton's face grew red and struggled to hide his embarrassment. Before he could explain himself, the familiar presence of T3 rolled inside the cockpit, mocking the scoundrel with beeps of laughter.

Atton leaped out from his seat and began to chase after the utility droid, pushing HK out of his way while doing so. "Get back here, you little trash compactor!"

Carth could not help but laugh as now he was left alone with the assassin droid. In the past, Carth was afraid that HK might have acted out one day and shot him, but being in his presence for so long made him feel more comfortable.

"Observation: we now appear to be alone in the cockpit," HK-47 stated while scanning the room. "Request: would you care for a game of pazaak?"

"No thanks," Carth declined. "Go and ask someone else, I need to concentrate on flying."

The assassin droid turned and marched out of the cockpit, leaving Carth alone to fly the ship in peace. Of course once they were in hyperspace, there was not exactly much to do other than wait and make certain they were on course.

In the meantime, Atton finally caught up T3 and had him concerned in the storage compartment. "Got you now, you little pest!"

Atton leaped forward to grab him, only to miss as T3 dodged and wheeled out of the compartment. Atton groaned and slowly stood up to prepare. However, Atton came to his senses and decided against chasing after the droid. He had better things to do.

At first he considered going back to the cockpit as usual but with Carth managing the pilot's seat for now, Atton had no season to. He could finally take a break from flying while they were in hyperspace. Since he didn't exactly wish to spend all the journey chasing T3, Atton proceeded towards the storage compartment.

Upon arriving, he witnessed Meetra sparing with Mical, the Disciple that had been travelling with them since Dantooine. Needless to say, Atton wasn't exactly the biggest fan of Mical for reasons he wished to remain a secret.

He watched as Meetra disarmed her friend, pointing her lightsaber towards his neck.

"It appears I need a lot more practise than I anticipated," Mical noted, disappointment filled his tone.

"Don't beat yourself," Meetra assured, lowering her lightsaber. "No-one can master a form in a short time. Just keep practising and you'll get there in no time."

Mical nodded. "I thank you for your words. Would you mind if we ceased training for a while? I have some studies that I seek to read."

"Of course," Meetra granted, surprised that he would ask permission as if she was his mentor like she was meant to be before. "Come back to me when you're ready."

Mical retrieved his lightsaber and proceeded to return the medial bay. He passed Atton along the way, greeting him as they passed each other.

Atton waited until the Disciple was out of his view. "Loser," he sighed before moving inside the storage compartment.

Meetra activated her lightsaber and prepared to continue training by herself for a while. That was until she noticed a new presence. "Hey Atton. Carth giving you too much trouble already?"

"Nah," he replied, shaking his head. "Took a break and now I'm playing a game: it's called "Keep yourself entertained to avoid dying of boredom"."

His humor never appeared to have changed during their journey together. Meetra didn't even know whenever to laugh or not. "Well, while you're here, want to practise some lightsaber training?"

"I'm good," Atton assured. "I got enough practice wielding a vibrosword while I was in the army."

"A lightsaber is a completely different item, Atton," Meetra explained, raising her own to demonstrate. "A lightsaber is your life, it's apart of who you are, not just an item you picked up from a store. The crystal inside is bonded to you and perfectly mastering it takes years of training."

Atton chuckled. "Look I get that you had a lot of training at with the Jedi and don't get me wrong, I've seen you take down more troops than I can count, but I for one have my own style of fighting."

His responce was not too surprising considering his usual confidence with weapon. Out of all of the crew, Atton remained the only one who trained the least with it. In fact, Meetra had rarely seen him use it even in battles against the Sith.

Meetra raised her lightsaber and activited it. "Well Atton, if you're as skillfill as you claim, then you should have no trouble fighting me, right?"

Atton raised an eyebrow, curious as to what she was getting at. "What are you trying to say?"

"Nothing," she replied. "But I am curious to see how well you use that weapon. How about we do a little training? All you need to do is land a hit on me with your lightsaber."

Atton had the feeling she was trying to trick him into something and whatever it was, he had no idea at the slightest. Nevertheless, not only was he looking for some preoccupation but wanted to prove her wrong. "Just one hit? Piece of cake."

Meetra grinned and adjusted her lightsaber. "In that case, make sure you set your lightsaber to practise mode."

Atton did just that. With a press of the button, his yellow lightsaber roared to life, representing the title of a Jedi Sentinel. According to the knowledge she read during her studies, Sentinel's focused less upon the force and focused upon other skills instead. With Atton being an expert on piloting, shooting, hacking, and repairs, this fitted him quite well.

After making certain both their lightsabers were set to practise mode, the two prepared themselves for training.

"Just one hit," Meetra reminded. "Whenever you're ready."

Atton held both hands tightly around his blade and prepared his attack. Being in her presence for long, Atton knew better than to fight her like a clumsy oath. As soon as he was prepared, Atton begun his attack with the Makashi form, a style best used to fight against other lightsaber users.

Meetra held one hand behind her back and used her Soresu style to defend. With relative ease, Meetra begun to block each of his attacks, predicting every movement.

When she blocked a second time, Meetra swiftly moved to the side and calmly pushed him away. "You're much sloppy than I thought. No wonder you use a blaster"

Atton merely grinned before beginning his assault. He threw multiple swipes but no matter how fast he threw them, each one was blocked.

Meetra ducked and delivered a light kick against his stomach, causing him to stumble backwards. "Are you sure you used a vibrosword?"

"Don't try to insult me," Atton responded, adjusting his grip on his weapon. "I know what you're trying to do, you want me to get angry so you can make me lose concentration."

"Smart," Meetra praised, waving her free hand as a taunt. "Then how do you plan to beat me?"

"Like this!" Atton yelled and began his offensive attack yet again. This time, he hit his blade against her own much harder, attempting to knock her off balance for a quick strike. However, by doing this he had sacrificed speed for power.

Despite the stronger strength, Meetra kept up a good defense and continued to avoid everyone of his attacks. As he threw one more, she performed a front-flip over his head, landing behind him before he could blink.

Atton turned with his lightsaber raised. Once again, she ducked but countered with a light jab in his stomach.

Atton groaned, clutching one hand over where she had hit him. "Pure Pazaak, that hurt!"

Meetra deactivated her weapon, placing onto her belt. This left Atton confused as he now wondered why she had left herself defenseless.

Either way, Atton charged and swung his lightsaber in different directions. No matter how fast he struck, she dodged each one even without her weapon. Atton was growing frustrated that he could not land a single hit on her.

As Atton struck, Meetra caught his arm, swiftly spinning and elbowing him in the stomach. With his arm in her grip, she pulled it over her shoulder, causing him to lose his grip on his weapon upon feeling the tense pain.

Meetra threw him over her shoulder, landing him on his back before positioning herself on top of him, her hand raised clutched into a fist. ""Piece of cake", huh?"

Although annoyed that he couldn't win, Atton raised a grin. "Not bad. Do I still have my good looks?"

Meetra stood, taking his hand to help him stand. "You can't lose what you never had."

"Hey," he protested, playfully shoving her. However, losing this small sparring session made him feel a little down. "Well I guess that's what you get for being cocky. Guess I'm more handy with a blaster, huh?"

Meetra received his weapon and offered it back to him, not before one of her lectures. "Atton, most if not all Jedi were only kids when we are taken into the order. Learning the ways of the force is hard, even for adults. But either way, you understand now."

Her words were always full of wisdom but even Atton had doubts. "I'm glad you believe in me, but truth is I didn't earn this. That Jedi I told you about, the one I killed opened my mind to the force. The force didn't choose me, she forced it into me."

Meetra placed one hand upon his shoulder for comfort. "Atton, whoever she was did that because she knew your place in the galaxy. Any other Jedi would have accepted her fate but she choose you. The force doesn't just go into people, the force is always around us, always apart of us. It is the will of the force that you can wield it now. Remember when you told me of your past? You told me you wanted to use the force to protect me. I can teach you to master it but only if you let me."

Atton did not respond for a moment, thinking the whole situation over. Since the Mandalorion wars, Atton hated the Jedi and after hearing what they did to Meetra back on Dantooine, his hatred for them only grew yet he could feel the force around him calmly his mind. Some would treat this as a burden, but Atton thought different. He wanted to use the force to protect her, to make her safe and defeat other enemies along the way.

With a little hesitation, Atton accepted his lightsaber back, placing it inside his jacket. "I do. I do want to master the ways of the force but somehow I don't think I have the strength to do it."

"One's journey is never alone," Meetra reassured, a smile appeared across her face. "I will help you, Atton, no matter what. You've stuck with me since Peragus, you've proven that you care for not just my well-being but the rest of the crew's. I remember when you saved Mical back on Korriban'"

That was a bitten memory. Atton recalled blasting a Sith assassin that was about to stab Mical in the back.

"Atton, the force will always be with you," Meetra concluded and stepped back, raising her lightsaber yet again.

Atton held his own lightsaber, closing his eyes as he remembered her earlier teachings. The force felt strange, a feeling that could not be described by any feeling he had ever experienced. As the force brought comfort to his mind, the lightsaber felt a lot lighter in his hands.

With a now calmer mind, Atton activited his lightsaber and stood in a defense position. "I can feel the force flowing through me...The lightsaber….It feels lighter."

"You're bonding with it," Meetra explained. "Let it connect with you, do not be afraid."

Atton closed his eyes, whispering to himself. "I am not afraid. I will not be afraid. I am one with the force…."

As Atton continued, little did he know that he his power was beginning to have an effect. The cargo around them was beginning to levitate from the crowd and Meetra knew for a fact that was not her doing. Atton was doing it, he was using the force.

"...And the force is with me," Atton's eyes shot open and the cargo around him dropped. Surprised, he stumbled back, holding his head as the boxes around him dropped. "That...Felt weird."

"It's a natural feeling, Atton, one that you will get use to," Meetra explained as she activated her lightsaber. "Now spar with me, use the force to fight with you."

With a now calm mind and the will of the force, Atton activated his lightsaber again and moved on the offensive. Keeping his frustration under control, Atton spared with Meetra, the woman he had travelled with for so long. Never would he forget their meeting on Peragus. He swore to protect her and that was a promise he intended to keep.

* * *

 **And that concludes the fourth chapter, folks. Since the game lacked any training scenes between party members, I had the inspiration to write the sparring between Meetra and Atton. Now for anyone who may be puzzled, in this story, Meetra never found the message from T3 until now and the dialogue with said message was my own version. It will all make more sense as the story progresses. Stay tuned for chapter 5.**


	5. Chapter 5: Coruscant

**Knights of the Old Republic 3: The Final Chapters**

 **Chapter 5: Coruscant**

 **Hey guys, we are onward to the fifth chapter. Apologises for the little delay, blame work for that, haha.**

* * *

Four days had passed but in hyperspace, it felt like they had been trapped in there for weeks. While Meetra was use to patience, the same couldn't be said for the rest of the crew. Hk-47 would continually ask Meetra if he could shoot something. Heck, he was willing to shoot T3 for fun.

As the Ebon Hawk came close to it's destination, Carth pressed the intercom and announced to the rest of the crew: "We'll be landing in about five minutes, everyone strap in."

In the storage room, Meetra overheard this and prepared to finish today's training with Mical. She continued pushing Mical with her Ataru style, teaching him how to defend against such attacks with the Soresu technique. Becoming a true lightsaber duelist took years of practise, but Mical was doing quite well considering it had only been four days.

Meetra deactivated her lightsaber, pleased with her friend's training. "You're doing great, Mical. Keep up your speed and you should master Soresu in no time."

"I am pleased to hear that," Mical thanked and took a bow in respect.

"We better get strapped in," Meetra recommended, walking to join the others.

The Ebon Hawk dropped out of hyperspace and in front of them was the planet of Coruscant, one of the most popular and populated cities throughout the entire galaxy. The Jedi Temple once stood here at the heart of the planet but now, it was nothing but ruins. Who's to say it was even still there?

"There it is," Carth announced. "Coruscant, the entire planet's one big city. I haven't been here in a LONG time."

Atton appeared to be uninterested upon entering the system. "Reminds me of a bigger version of Taris."

Carth entered a frequency and came into contact with the Republic hanger nearby. "Republic Hanger 053, this is Admiral Carth Onasi requesting clearance. Clearance code 07-15-03."

There was a brief pause before a female office responded. "Copy that, Admiral, you are cleared to land at platform 3."

"Roger that," Carth replied and slowly begun to escort the Hawk towards said hanger.

Within a couple of moments, the Ebon Hawk entered the hanger and landed onto the right platform. Carth did a quick double check to make certain everything was powered off before leaving to join the rest of the group as they exited the hawk.

Meetra was the last one to leave the ship. Before stepping down the ramp, she noted Bao-Dur had not joined them. "Are you coming, Bao-Dur?"

"I think I'd prefer to stay here, General if that's all right with you?" the mechanic replied.

Meetra raised an eyebrow as to why her trusted friend wouldn't want to join them. Maybe the Republic brought back memories but either way, she wasn't going to force him to go anywhere he didn't want to go. "Of course, Bao-Dur. Hopefully we shouldn't be too long."

With Bao-Dur remaining behind, the rest of the group exited the ship where they were greeted by an officer.

"Admiral," he greeted Carth with a salute. "How may I help you today?"

"We're not here on official Republic business, but our current mission is a confidential for now," Carth explained. "We just need a place to park our ship while we're here."

The office appeared satisfied and nodded with his hands placed behind his back. "Of course, sir. You can keep your ship here while you stay. If there's anything else I can do, please do not hesitate to ask."

At that moment, the officer noted the armored soldier within their group. "A Mandalorian?"

"He's part of our mission, don't worry," Carth assured. "Well, you better get on with your duties, officer."

Now it was time to continue with their mission. The large group exited the hanger and observed their surroundings. Large buildings blocked the views of the sky, many speeders zoomed past and many citizens walked around them.

"Say Onasi, how exactly do we find Bastila?" Canderous inquired beneath his helmet. "Millions of people probably live in this very area."

Carth didn't exactly think that through. He rubbed his hand behind the back of his head. "Uh…T3, do you know where Bastila lives?"

T3 beeped negatively, explaining how her location was also damaged within his core.

"HK?" Meetra added.

"Answer: negative master," HK-47 replied. "Upon my real master leaving, everything that has happened has been removed from my memory core until I was reactivated by you."

"Well this is great," Atton spoke up, crossing his arms. "Now we're about to play the "knock-on-every-door-until-you-find-the-person-you're-looking-for-game"."

Canderous chuckled as he placed his blaster over his shoulder. "I'm afraid this is where we part ways for a little while."

"You're leaving?" Meetra questioned.

"Not exactly. I'm with you on your mission to find Revan, but my other priorities are recruiting the lost Mandalore clans and there's bound to be more somewhere in this city," Canderous explained before proceeded to leave elsewhere. "We'll meet up again soon enough,"

Meetra almost forgot that Canderous was still hunting for other Mandalorians. Since their travels, he had recruited more on Dantooine and Nar Shadda. Canderous departed not too long after, leaving the group one less member for now.

"Somehow I got the feeling he's going to against us one day," Atton stated, watching as the Mandalore marched away. He loomed over Visas' shoulder and noticed a nearby cantina. "Well kids, I'm gonna go and play pazaak and sip some juice. Anyone who wants to join me is more than welcome."

"Stay out of trouble," Meetra called out as the scoundrel walked away.

With three of their members elsewhere, that left Meetra, Carth, Mical, Visas, T3 and HK to continue their search for Bastila.

"It's been a long time since I was last here," Meetra spoke up while more memories drifted in front of her. The day the council banished her from the order, the day she stabbed her lightsaber into the stone. Those she trusted had refused to protect the innocent.

"Any idea on where we should begin our search?" Mical inquired towards Carth.

"I'm not too sure. I could ask around at a couple of Republic offices, see if they know," Carth suggested but even he appeared to be unsure. "I thought you Jedi guys could all sense each other-"

"Shh!" Meetra shushed. "Keep your voice down. There could still be bounties, not to mention some people don't really appreciate the Jedi anymore."

"Sorry," Carth apologized once he realized his error.

Visas observed her surroundings, using her force sight to gain a feel of the people around her. The force here felt so strong, yet so weak. "There was a strong presence here, but now in the howling of a storm, it is difficult to hear the whisper of a blade."

Meetra joined her as they felt the force around them. "This place was once the stronghold of the Jedi. There were so many once but now...Now there are a few left."

"We travel with you, yet we are neither Jedi or Sith," Visas questioned. "What does that make us?"

That was a question Meetra asked herself everyday. "I helped people, I defended people, and I killed my enemies. I'm not a Jedi but I am not evil like the Sith. I suppose that makes us...In the middle."

"We are one with the force and the force is with us yet we do not bind ourselves to an order," Visas replied quietly. "Ever since the destruction of my planet, I feel as if I am alone on a journey to nowhere. Even the force does not give me comfort at times."

Meetra forced a small smile and placed one hand upon the Miraluka's shoulder. "You're not alone, Visas. I promise that I'll take care of you. If one day the Jedi order is ever truly rebuilt...I would be honoured to teach you the ways of the Jedi."

The former exile was never one to break a promise but that's when she remembered more of Kreia's fortunetelling. She spoke of Visas, how she would once return to her homeworld some day and learn what it means to see. When they day would occur, Meetra had no idea but she would not let Visas explore alone.

Visas was never one to show emotion but nevertheless, expressed her appreciation. "I thank you for your concern. But I believe we should keep our focus to finding Bastila Shan."

Meetra couldn't agree more. "Let's get going."

* * *

While his fearless leader and team went to search for their missing Jedi, Atton got himself comfortable within the local cantina. The place was like most bars he visited but at least this one looked nicer and better built.

Atton held a drink in one hand while casually leaning his chair back with his feet placed upon the table. In all his life, Atton had never once stepped foot on Coruscant, even in his years as a Sith soldier.

The bar was quite lively yet Atton felt as if everything was quiet. He felt at peace, something that he had not experienced since….Since her. The Jedi who had once exposed him to the force during his time as a Sith soldier. To this day, Atton could not understand why he felt feelings for her. He hated them, killed them without question yet he loved her. He killed her because of that love. It didn't make sense.

Out of their little force group, Atton was the least experience with the force. Meetra was strong, Mical and Visas already had experience prior to joining and Bao-Dur spent quite some time with Jedi during his years as a tech. If Meetra was right, then the force did indeed work in mysterious ways.

While resting, Atton did a double-check to make certain he had both weapons: his trademark blaster pistol and single-bladed orange lightsaber. As requested, he kept his lightsaber hidden to avoid attraction unless he absolutely had to. He felt that things were good for now, that was until he overheard a conversation in the next booth.

Two Rodians appeared to be discussing about a possible bounty. Atton had no idea how he was hearing this over the commotion yet he felt as if the force wanted him to eavesdrop on their conversation. The two Rodians were speaking in their native lanaguage.

" _/You're serious!/_ "

" _/That's right, Eval told me he saw her in section 8 near the lower levels./_ "

" _/But that's where gangs hang out, no way I'm going in there!/_ "

" _/Come on, is it not worth the risk? A nice little bounty for catching a Jedi, dead or alive. We'd in rich, we'd make more in a day that we have in a year./_ "

Now Atton was really curious. They couldn't be talking about Meetra and the gang, could they? No, Meetra was far too careful to attract attention. That only meant one thing: "More Jedi?"

" _/I don't care she's worth a planet! I am NOT going into the lower levels, we'll get slaughtered!/_ "

" _/We don't need to go alone, we can hire some other guys to attack the gangs while we slip past. It'll be a piece of cake./_ "

" _/I don't know….I'll think about it./_ "

Atton was never one to care about helping strangers yet something inside was telling him to investigate. He tried shaking this feeling off but no matter what, he had to find out about this Jedi hidden here on Coruscant. It could be possible that Bastila they were looking for. Doubtful, but possible.

By now, the two Rodians had stood up and were making their way towards the exit of the cantina.

Atton sighed and shook his head. "I am so gonna regret this."

Without another word, Atton stood and followed, remembering to leave a small tip on his table. This was no doubt going to lead to trouble but after travelling with his group for so long, it wouldn't even be a surprise.

...

Meetra and team had just finished visiting yet another Republic office in this area. Using his authority, Carth attempted to find Bastila's address but it appeared that no-one had her location so far. Aside from being a Jedi, Bastila had certainly been keeping herself off the radar. At this rate, they were never going to find her.

"Thanks for everything," Carth thanked the Republic officer and proceeded to join the others outside. "Sorry but no luck here either."

"It would appear our fellow allie is attempting to avoid unwanted attention," Mical stated the obvious. "Strange."

"Bastila and Revan wanted to avoid public attention when they were married," Meetra explained, placing one hand to her hip. "It's no wonder why we're having so much trouble finding them."

Carth crossed his arms, shaking his head in disappointment. "Well I can try asking at more Republic stations but I wouldn't get our hopes up."

Everyone was stumped at this point. Coruscant was huge and even if they somehow checked every office on the planet, that still wouldn't increase their chances on finding her. There had to be another way they playing ask the offices.

As the others pondered, HK-47 spoke up. "Suggestion: master if I do recall, there were more companions accompanying my real master during our fight against the meatbag Malak. If by chance they are still around, perhaps we could locate them and inquire as to Bastila's location."

No one would have guessed that the assassin droid would be the one to come up with the ideas. Needless to say, Meetra actually agreed with him for once.

"HK, you're a genius," Meetra expressed her gratitude, turning towards the admiral. "Carth, you were them as well. Any idea on where they would be?"

Carth needed a moment to think despite the offices of information literally right behind him. "Aside from Canderous, T3, and HK, I haven't really heard much from the others. Jolee and Juhani, I don't even know if they're around given their Jedi status. There was a kid named Mission and her best friend Zaalbar. I haven't heard from them since I was promoted."

"That could be our lead," Meetra stated.

"Wait here," Carth requested, quickly running back into the Republic office.

With Carth in the office, everyone waited patiently for him to return yet again. HK-47 was pacing up and down impatiently as usual, eager to shoot something.

While Meetra waited, she raised her arm upon hearing the familiar sound of her comlink. She answered the call without hesitation. "Meetra here."

" _It's Atton,_ " the familiar voice of a scoundrel spoke up. " _I've been overhearing some bounty hunters talking about hunting a Jedi in the lower city. Chance it could be our friend we're looking for. I'm following them now, keeping you posted. Any luck on your end?_ "

Meetra was surprised to here the possibility of finding another Jedi who survived during these past five years. She answered after a few seconds. "Uh, not really. HK thinks he knows someone who might know Bastila's location, we're waiting on Carth for now. You think you can follow those bounty hunters and see if there really is a Jedi they're after?"

" _Will do,_ " Atton replied. " _Things could get ugly, I could do with a hand._ "

"Understood. Keep following them and I'll send HK to your position," Meetra replied, turning towards said assassin droid. "HK, I want to track Atton's comlink and help him. When you get there, you'll listen to everything Atton tells you and follow his orders. Understood?"

Although HK-47 was not pleased to be taking orders from the scoundrel, his programming said otherwise. "Obedience: very well, master. I shall comply."

With his orders set, HK-47 begun to track Atton's signal and ran towards his location, leaving the group one less member yet again. Hopefully he would not cause trouble along the way, but Meetra was confident her droid would not let her down.

Mical raised his voice upon listening to their conversation. "I do not mean to criticise your leadership, but are you sure that was wise sending HK? The droid may have extraordinary skills, but his attitude may say different."

"HK will be fine, he has his orders," Meetra assured, turning her gaze when she noted a familiar face joining them. "Carth's coming back."

The admiral did indeed join them holding a datapad in his hand that contain new information. "I got some information from the offices-wait, where's HK?"

"He's helping Atton with something," Meetra answered, leaving out most of the details in favour of their current mission. "What did you find?"

Carth held up the datapad. "I couldn't find anything on Jolee and Juhani, but I got Mission and Zaalbar's location. Not too long after the war with Malak, Mission and Zaalbar opened up their own import and export business right here on Coruscant. If they're still in business, then that's our lead."

Meetra nodded, relieved that they were now getting somewhere. "Then should we get going?"

"Not exactly," Carth declined, browsing through their datapad yet again. "According to the files, their business is open from 9:00 AM till 9:00 PM every day. It's 9:30 now so they'll be at home, a location that's not on this pad.

"That's not so bad," Meetra assured. "We'll just wait until tomorrow. Come on, let's get back to the Hawk."

With their search at an temporary halt, the group begun to make their way towards the hanger. Their ship was practically at their home at this point.

While Meetra sent our messages to Atton and Canderous, Carth had other thoughts running throughout his mind.

"I haven't seen Mission and Zaalbar in five years," Carth spoke out loud. "Gosh, Mission must almost be an adult. Think they'll be glad to see me?"

"If they travelled with you for so long, your presence should excite them no doubt," Mical assured despite his short time with the admiral to not know him personally.

Carth nodded as a thinks and continued following the others, however his mind was not at ease. Although to the rest of the group it was just another day of waiting, to Carth it was another day Revan could possibly be meeting his end. Every Time they found a lead, there was always an obstacle in their way. It's like the galaxy didn't want him to find his oldest friend. No matter what, Carth was not giving up. Even if he had to search every corner of the galaxy, he was going to find Revan.

* * *

 **And we have reached the end of the fifth chapter. I wished we could have got to visit Coruscant on Kotor 2, would have been great to see it's design four-thousand years before.**


	6. Chapter 6: Reunion Part 1

**Knights of the Old Republic 3: The Final Chapters**

 **Chapter 6: Reunion Part 1**

 **Hey everyone, back with the sixth chapter. Now before we begin, I would just like to give a small announcement. The fourth and final season of Star Wars Rebels airs tomorrow. I know it may seem a little irrelevant to discuss it here as it's a separate Star Wars canon from here, but as a Star Wars fan, I felt the need just to give a shout out. Anyway, I'm dragging on. Enjoy chapter 6.**

* * *

Atton slowly kept his distance between the two Rodians as they travelled in caution within the lower city. Even in such a popular and protected place of Coruscant, the lower cities were never fully safe with all the gangs occupying the area.

When the Rodians stopped, Atton took over behind a wall, his blaster at the ready in one hand. Even after coming this far, he still couldn't understand why he was doing this. Was this the force the will of the force or did Atton finally grow a conscious?

"Statement:"

Atton almost jumped out of his skin and swiftly turned around, preparing to shoot. That's when he recognized a familiar assassin droid. His sudden movement almost attracted the Rodians attention.

"I have finally-"

Atton leaped up and placed his hand over the droid's voice box. "Shh!"

" _/Did you hear that?/_ " the first Rodian questioned.

" _/Hear what?/_ " the second replied, confused at his partner's last statement.

Atton kept his hand over the assassin's droid, placing one finger from his free hand against his mouth. If those rodians decided to turn around, then he would have no choice but to engage them, causing this whole day to be a waste of time.

" _/There's nothing there, you imbecile,/_ " the second Rodian scolded, shoving his partner for stopping them.

" _/Must have just been womp rat,/_ " the first Rodian responded. "Let's keep moving."

With extra caution, Atton waited until the Rodians had put some distance between them. He removed his hand from over the droid's face. "What are you doing here? And speak quietly!"

"Adjustment: lowering audio volume," HK-47 responded. "Explaination: the master has requested I join you in following the bounty hunters. I am to unfortunately listen to your orders until we return."

Atton had completely forgot that Meetra had sent HK to join hum. How long had he been following them for? "All right. We'll keep our heads down and follow them, see if that so-called 'Jedi' is around here."

"Disappointment: very well ," HK-47 sighed. He would much rather be killing then following bounty hunters all night.

* * *

"General, you're back," Bao-Dur greeted as the group entered the Ebon Hawk. He couldn't help but notice a couple of members absent. "Where's HK, Atton and Canderous?" he never thought he would inquire as to the Mandalorians status.

Meetra pressed the button to close up the loading ramp before answering. "Atton and HK are on a mission and Canderous is busy looking for other Mandalorians."

"Typical Mandalorian," Bao-Dur sighed, but remembered Meetra's teachings and kept a calm mind. "No luck in your mission?"

"We've got another lead, we're following it tomorrow," Meetra explained. "Anything happen while we're gone?"

"Nothing much," the Zabrak mechanic replied with a shrug. "The Hawk's rebuilt to it's standard but I made some adjustments to the hyperdrive. It should get us to planets a little faster."

"Good work, Bao-Dur," Meetra praised with nod, but she couldn't help but be concerned for his well-being. "Maybe you should take some time off and relax for a little while? I know you like to build, but even you have your limits."

Bao-Dur was practically a droid at this point given his intelligence and robotic arm. Nevertheless, he did feel a little tired. All he ever did was work. "I guess a little sleep wouldn't hurt. Thanks General."

Now that they were resting in the Hawk for the night, everyone departed to their own activities. Mical went to catch up on some reading, Visas meditated, T3 did his usual maintenance routine, Bao-Dur rested, and Carth went into the communications room. As for Meetra, she decided to check in on the rest of their team.

First she contacted Atton who answered after a couple of clicks. " _Atton here._ "

"Atton, what's your status?" Meetra inquired, speaking quiet in case he was still hiding.

" _HK and I are still following the Rodians, nothing much has happened so far,_ " Atton debriefed. " _Everything good on your end?_ "

"We've reached a little stump so we're waiting till morning to continue our search," Meetra explained as she made her towards the storage compartment. "You gonna be okay? I can come and give you a hand if you like."

" _Thanks but no thanks,_ " Atton declined although he did appreciate her offer. It had been a long time since he had someone who actually cared for his well-being. " _We should be fine. I'll get back to you if something happens._ "

"Roger that. Meetra out," she said before ending the transmission with him. She contacted the next individual on her mind, but didn't exactly expect a warm greeting.

" _Yeah, what do you want?_ " the familiar gruff voice of Canderous spoke.

"Just checking in," Meetra explained, not at all surprised at his rude greeting. "Everything good on your end?"

" _Decent I suppose. Found a couple of clan members in the areas and recruited them to Clan Ordo. I guess you could say my hunts been going well so far,_ " Canderous explained, his tone obviously eager to end this call. Nevertheless, he couldn't help but ask the obvious: " _Any leads of Shan?_ "

"Tomorrow we're going to see Mission and Zaalbar, old friends of yours if you remember?" Meetra questioned.

Canderous chuckled. " _Ah yes, the brat and her Wookie. Gotta say I didn't expect them to be on this little mission of ours. I'd be careful though if you visit them._ "

Meetra raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

" _When I last saw Revan, he told that he didn't want ANYONE following, that especially included Mission and Zaalbar as he didn't feel like ruining their lives,_ " Canderous explained. " _I won't tell you how to do your job but you just remember what you're getting yourself and others into._ "

For once, Meetra actually thought the Mandalorian had a point. That was unexpected. "Noted. I'll let you get back to your hunting."

" _Don't bother waiting up for me. Ordo out,_ " the transmission ended in a second later.

That was everyone accounted for. Meetra checked her watch, 9:45 PM. She still had sometime to kill before getting some rest for the night and what better option than to do some training. Everyone else was occupied and didn't feel like disturbing them. With the cargo hold as her training room, Meetra activated her lightsaber and practised her Shien form.

* * *

It felt like following this bounty hunters had taken more time than Atton spent in that cell until they finally reached a destination. Fortunately, luck was on their side and they had not bumped into any gangs along the way. The two Rodians stopped in front of a door that appeared to lead into an apartment of some sort.

" _/Is this it?/_ " the second Rodian question his partner.

" _/This is the place,/_ " the first Rodian confirmed. " _/Are you ready?/_ "

" _/I don't know. Jedi are dangerous, they carry those lightsabers and have the force tricks on their side. What chance we have?/_ "

" _/We're professionals and look at the time. The Jedi should be asleep by now and we have some disruptor collars to prevent them from calling on the force. All we need to do is be fast, stun them and then drop them off for collection on Nar Shaddaa. Piece of cake!/_ "

" _/Well...All right./_ "

HK-47 lowered his volume and spoke more quietly at the request of Atton. "Observation: it would appear that the bounty hunters are getting ready to strike. I recommend that we attack now before they strike."

Atton shook his head in disagreement, using his brain for once. "Not yet. They're going to take them alive so all we need to do is wait. If they capture them, we'll save the Jedi. If not, then we'll go and greet them."

HK-47 sighed. "Disappointment: very well."

The two Rodians had their blasters at the ready and with a count of three from their fingers, they entered the apartment and charged within. Atton could only watch as the door close automatically. There was a brief silence as he and HK-47 took up firing position, preparing to fire the first bounty hunter that came into their sights.

As a few seconds passed, the silence was broken by blaster fire from within followed by a lightsaber igniting. There were screams before the blaster fire ceased. Atton waited, aiming closely at the door. No doubt this confirmed that a Jedi was present. Either that or someone was very good with a lightsaber.

The apartment door opened and Atton prepared himself. From the darkness within, one of the Rodians stepped out, clutching an arm around his injured torso.

" _/Help…,/_ " he weakly cried before succumbing to his injuries and collapsing stomach first.

A few seconds later, another figure stepped out from the apartment but it certainly wasn't the bounty hunter's partner. The figure stopped at the doorway and ignited a blue bladed lightsaber.

"I know you are there," the figure spoke out in an heavily accent female voice. "Come out now."

Although hesitant, Atton complied and dropped his blaster with his hands raised in the air, ordering HK-47 to do the same. He didn't waste half a day following them for nothing.

"It's okay, we're friendly," Atton assured as he stepped out into the open.

"Agreement: yes, friendly," HK-47 reluctantly agreed. The tone of his voice clearly indicated that surrendering was not one of his strong points.

Upon seeing the droid, the figure lowered her lightsaber and despite the darkness covering her face, she appeared to be surprised. "HK-47? Is that really you?"

"Someone you know?" Atton casually inquired.

"Answer: I am not too certain. Perhaps if they were too step into the light, my scanner might be able to recognize them," HK-47 explained, lowering his mechanical arms to his side.

Hesitantly, the figure stepped out from her apartment, revealing herself into the light as she deactivated her lightsaber. Atton had no idea who she was, but HK-47's red eyes lit up further.

"Exclamation: my, now this is certainly a surprise."

* * *

At 10:15 PM, Meetra decided this was enough training for today. Rest was just as important. She proceeded towards the centre of the hawk to make sure her crew weren't trying to kill each other as usual.

Upon arriving, the only members present was Carth and T3. The admiral was sitting in one of the chairs, reading from the a databad.

"Catching up on your studies?" Meetra teased as she moved to get herself a drink.

"Just keeping up to date with Telos," Carth replied, placing the datapad. "Make sure nothing else happened while I was away. A part of me feels guilty for leaving the planet again."

"Relax Carth," Meetra assured. "Nihilus and Sion have been dealt with, there's no one who has a stronger enough force to attack Telos."

"I hope so," Carth admitted with a sigh. Even with all the extra security from the Republic, Carth would never forget the day Malak attacked his home a long time ago, destroying everything he loved. His home, his friends….His wife."

Upon noticing the admiral's sudden change of expression, Meetra opened her mouth to ask but halted upon hearing her comlink keep. She raised her arm to answer. "Meetra here."

" _It's Atton,_ " the familiar voice greeted, relieving Meetra of her worry. " _I'm just approaching the hawk now with HK, need you to lower ramp. Oh and can you get Carth too? I got someone who wants to meet him._ "

"Roger," Meetra replied, turning towards the small droid beside her. "T3, can you go and lower the ramp for Atton?"

The astromech droid zoomed off in an instance.

"Carth, Atton said he has someone who wants to talk to you." Meetra informed the admiral.

"Someone for me?" Carth questioned with a raised eyebrow.

T3 returned not too long after and shortly behind him was Atton with HK-47 and a new face.

"We're back," Atton announced, moving aside to allow their new guest past.

Carth stood to greet whoever Atton had greeted. At first he expected it to be a Republic soldier but upon recognizing the face, he almost gasped. He immediately stood and ran towards his old friend.

"Juhani?"

Carth had never expected to see her again, let alone another Jedi. The cathar was covered with dirt, her clothes were old and slightly torn and judging from the way she looked, Juhani hadn't had a decent sleep or meal for a while.

"Carth," Juhani greeted, her accent as deep as before.

"It's. It's good to see you," Carth greeted as they shared a small, friendly hug. "I thought you were dead along with the rest of the Jedi."

"I never went to Katarr...I….I," suddenly, Juhani lost consciousness and would have collapsed had Carth not caught her.

"Juhani!" Carth gasped, quickly helping her lay down. He turned towards Anton. "What happened to her?!"

"She was like this when we found her," Atton explained. "She's been living in the underworld for force knows how long."

"I'll get Mical," Meetra assured and moved to find the disciple. Her search was saved however when Mical had already ran inside after hearing the commotion. Bao-Dur accompanied him.

"What has happened?" Mical inquired, kneeling down to the Carth's side.

"No time to explain fully, can you help her?" Carth pleaded, unwilling to lose another friend.

Mical nodded. "Of course. Bring her to the medical bay and I'll attend to her."

With a gentle pull, Carth picked up Juhani and followed Mical towards the medical bay. The others watched them walk outside of their view. Now they could only wait but Meetra had no doubt Mical could help her.

As they waited, Meetra turned towards Atton. "Atton, thank you for bringing Juhani back here. Judging by her appearance, she couldn't have lasted much longer out there."

"Hey, happy to help," Atton casually assured, rubbing one hand through his hair.

HK-47 had his own opinion on the matter, along with a chance to annoy someone. "Observation: it appears that the scoundrel is getting soft. No doubt he will soon be cooking and cleaning for the crew while donning an apron."

"Hey," Atton protested as Meetra chuckled. He shoved one hand against the assassin droid.

Carth returned not too long after and by the look across his face, he seemed relieved. "Juhani's gonna be okay. She's exhausted, not to mention starving."

"Give her time," Meetra reassured. "I'm sure she'll recover in no time."

Carth nodded in agreement. "Well it's late and we better get some shut eye. We got a long day tomorrow."

* * *

The familiar sounds of her buzzing alarm clock woke Meetra from her sleep at approximately 9:00 AM, just like she set. With a yawn and a stretch, Meetra stepped out from her bunk and equipped her Jal shey Neophyte armor. Since exiting her exile, this armor had been her main uniform as opposed to wearing her old Jedi robes or other battle armor. According to Mical, the Jal Shey had quite a bit of history behind them, a group of users who studied the force in a different way.

This would be a story for another day. Meetra enjoyed this armor, it brought her both comfort, protection and didn't restrict any of her movements. Upon finishing getting dressed for today, Meetra procceded towards the centre of the hawk where Juhani, their new guest and old friend of Revan was waiting.

"Morning," Meetra greeted while moving to get some coffee.

"Oh, hello," Juhani returned the greeting after a moment silence. Compared to last night when Atton brought her to the others, Juhani appeared to look a little better. She now had more rest along with a cleaner pair of red robes, similar to the ones she use to wear.

"Sleep okay?" Meetra inquired, taking a sip of coffee shortly after.

"It was fine, thank you," Juhani answered with a nod. Like Mira, she preferred sleeping inside the storage compartment as opposed to the beds in the women's dormitory. "I thank you for allowing me shelter and food. It has been a long time since I was offered such generosity. We Cathar do not always bring out the best impressions."

"Of course, Juhani. Any friend of Carth's is a friend of mine," Meetra reassured. "You're welcome to stay as long as you need."

Juhani nodded as another gesture of thanks. As of now, they appeared to be the only two awake with the exception of T3, who was doing his usual routine. This gave the Cathar the chance to ask a couple of questions that had been racing around her mind. "May I ask you something?"

"Anything," Meetra granted.

"Your other friends, they carry lightsabers and wield the force, yet they do not appear to be one of the Jedi order," Juhani explained. "I wanted to ask if they were once Jedi, maybe ones who had not yet passed their trials?"

Meetra took another sip before giving an answer. "Not exactly. I'm the only one here who use to be a member of the order, the rest are my friends I met during my travels. I discovered my friends could achieve the force through training and I help them."

"It must have been incredible to find such wielders after the great purge of the Jedi," Juhani stated in surprise. "Did you find them on your own will?"

Meetra shook her head. "I knew Bao-Dur from a long time ago, he was a mechanic who served under me during the war against the Mandalorians."

Upon remembering the old war that cost her to lose everything she loved, Juhani groaned in frustration and felt a familiar wave of anger passing through her. Meetra noted this and decided to stop before brought up more touching memories. However, she remembered her teachings and calmed himself, refusing to give into the dark side again.

"I apologize," Juhani said with a sigh of relief. "Please continue."

Meetra nodded. "Atton was the first one I met after I exited my exile. He use to be a member of the Sith army but eventually went AWOL after he realized their evil," she choose her words carefully to avoid anyone getting suspicious from Atton's past. "Mical was a former student at the Jedi temple, I met him on the temple at Dantooine. There was another in our group named Mira, a bounty hunter from Nar Shadda, but she's gone back home now."

"And what of the Miraluka?" Juhani inquired. "Was she one who had not yet inherited her powers?"

"Unfortunately, not," Meetra responded. "She was a slave, trained the ways of the dark side from her master, the one responsible for the destruction of the Jedi and Katarr. He sent her to kill me, but I saved her from him. Now Visas looks up to me as if I am her master."

Juhani appeared to be satisfied with the knowledge given to her from the former exile. "Thank you for your answers, it is rare to meet one so willing to share information."

"It's okay," Meetra assured while looking down upon her watch to check the time.

Juhani had more question that needed to be answered. "Meetra...I must ask you one more question I am afraid….Do you really believe Revan is still out there?"

Meetra hesitated to give an answer as she herself did not know, even with the fortune telling from Kreia. Nevertheless, she refused to give up. "I do, Juhani. I don't know where, but I promised myself that I will find him and end the Sith threat once and for all."

"Would you allow me to accompany you?" Juhani requested in a hopeful tone. "I owe Revan more debt than anyone can ever repay. He saved me from myself and showed me how true Jedi should act. I cannot idly set by while he may be in danger."

Meetra raised a smile and happily accepted the Cathar's help. "I would be honoured if you joined us, Juhani."

Juhani did not get a chance to reply when footsteps pressing against the metal echoed throughout the ship, getting closer and closer by the second. The two turned around to see a familiar scoundrel entering the room.

"Hey," Atton greeted with a yawn. "What'd I miss?"

* * *

 **A-A-A-A-And that bring us to the end of chapter 6. Now I know some of are probably thinking why did I bring Juhani back into this story? Personally, there are a couple of reasons. The first being she is one of my favoirte characters from the first game. Second, I feel that she was a little underdeveloped. While we know her back story, I would have liked to know more. What forms did she study? Why was truly on katarr? And third, I always believe there's room for further character development. Without further ado, I bid you folks goodnight because I've had two hours sleep and feel like I'm about to pass out. Adios.**


	7. Chapter 7: Reunion Part 2

**Knights of the Old Republic 3: The Final Chapters**

 **Chapter 7: Reunion Part 2**

 **"Remember, the force will be with you. Always."**

 **I will never forget those iconic words after watching Star Wars for the first time as a kid. Gosh, it makes me feel old sometimes. Haha, don't worry, I'm not an old man. Anyway, we're back with chapter 7, enjoy.**

* * *

After everyone was awake and dressed, they set off to locate Carth's old friends. Judging from the information Carth had received, their business was fortunately not too far away from the Republic hanger. They wouldn't need to rent a speeder of course, they still had at least fifteen minutes to go give or take.

Bao-Dur had decided to accompany them this time, leaving the ship since they were at Telos. It felt a little uneasy being in Coruscant again but with his General's teachings, he held together for now.

" _So you found Juhani, huh?_ " the familiar voice of Canderous echoed throughout Meetra's comlinks. He chuckled on the other end. " _Didn't expect to see another Jedi anytime soon, let alone one who's world we once attacked. She staying with us?_ "

"That's right," Meetra confirmed. "That a problem?"

" _Not with me,_ " Canderous assured with a gruff. " _You going to find the kid and her Wookie now?_ "

"We're on our way there now as we speak," Meetra replied. "I take it you're not going to join us?"

" _Until you find Shan, then you don't look like you need the extra hand. Besides, I got a lead on some more Mandalorians in this district,_ " Canderous explained but it was obvious by his tone he was eager to get this conversation over with.

Meetra knew this and prepared to end the call. "Roger that, I'll keep you posted if you find anything. Meetra out."

Juhani couldn't help but groan upon remembering one of her former companions was also a part of Meetra's team. Worst, he was a Mandalorian soldier, the same people they once attacked her home just to start a fight. Even after all these years, their presence irritated her but not enough to the point she would attack them out of hate.

"Mandalorians get on your bad side too, huh?" Bao-Dur questioned, breaking the Cathar out from her thoughts.

Juhani scoffed. "You wouldn't know the half of it."

"Believe me, I can relate," Bao Dur assured. Despite Canderous being in their presence for sometime now, he too still felt annoyed by his presence.

As Carth took the lead, Meetra slowed down slightly to match Juhani's pacing and speak with their allie. "Juhani, you were with Mission and Zaalbar during the war against Malak. Anything we should know about them?"

Juhani had to think for a moment as it had been a long time since she last encountered her old friends. "Carth met them on Taris, Mission and Zaalbar were living there on their own. They accompanied us until we defeated Malak. After that, I haven't seen them since."

"What were they like?" Meetra inquired.

Juhani couldn't help but smile. "Mission was very kind, so innocent yet intelligence. She was but a child yet she possessed the skills to get out of any situation. Zaalbar, well….His actions usually speak louder than words but he was also good, loyal person. He took care of Mission, acting as her protector. I don't recall meeting a friendship closer than their own."

That was all Meetra needed to hear to confirm they were the type of friends Revan would have followed. "I look forward to meeting them."

It did not take much longer until they finally reached their destination: they reached a small store but behind it was a clear larger building, possibly their warehouse. The name across the store read " _Vao and Z enterprises_ ".

"What a cliche name," Atton announced upon reading the sign.

"Well, this is the place," Carth stated and placed his datapad back into his bag. "Let's get inside."

The group entered the small store, the automatic door closing behind them along the way. Carth, being the first one inside, examining the room. Seemed like the average store with a desk, resting area and some refreshments.

Carth moved forward and recognized a familiar face stacking shelves behind the desk.

"I'll be with you in a sec," the innocent and sweet voice of Mission Vao greeted. She was so inclined into her work that she was oblivious to her old friends.

"Hey kid," Carth greeted almost immediately.

Recognizing that grumpy old voice anywhere, Mission almost dropped one of the boxes she was carrying. Slowly, she turned around, an expression of shock yet happy spread across her face.

"Carth!" Mission cried out in excitement and practically leaped over the counter. She embraced her old friend close.

Carth was almost knocked down, caught off guard by her sudden charge. Not to mention she was now taller, almost towering over himself. He smiled and returned the hug. "Good to see you, Mission."

"Big Z, get out here!" Mission called out as she leaned up from Carth's embrace. She casually jabbed her hand against his shoulder. "Carth, you old geezer. It's been so long."

"I could say the same, Mission," Carth agreed as he observed her. "You've certainly grown since I last saw you,"

"Making fun of my age again?" Mission questioned, but her tone indicated she was clearly kidding as opposed to her old defensive attitude. She leaned over to inspect Carth's new friends but one of them she knew from behind. "Juhani?! Is that you as well?"

The Cathar stepped forward and placed a hand upon Mission's shoulder. "It is good to see again, Mission. I am glad to see you are doing well."

As the two friends were reunited, the back door opened and out came a familiar wookie. Zaalbar had to duck just to get out of the door, but nevertheless, he too recognized the old Republic soldier and the Cathar Jedi.

"Hey Zaalbar," Carth greeted as the wookie approached him. "How you be-

Carth didn't get to finish when Zaalbar suddenly embraced him and lifted him off the ground. The admiral was completely caught off guard, not to mention the wookie's super strength didn't exactly leave breathing room.

Upon being put down, Carth chuckled and caught his breath. "Good to see you too, Zaalbar. Glad you and Mission are doing well."

Mission chuckled and turned to continue their previous conversation. That was until she recognized a familiar beeps. Pushing past Atton came a familiar utility droid. "T3!" she knelt down to the droid's height, placing one hand upon his head.

HK-47 stood out in front of the others as well. "Statement: it appears that the twi'lek and wookiee are indeed alive and well. How...Joyous."

Mission stood and placed one hand to her hip. "HK, still the same as ever. Gosh, I can't believe you're all here. Carth, are these guys friends of yours too?"

Carth nodded and began to gesture to everyone present. "Mission, Zaalbar these are my new friends. This is Meetra."

"Nice to meet you," Meetra greeted politely.

"This is Atton."

The scoundral waved. "Hey."

"This is Bao-Dur."

The zabrak merely nodded as a greeted.

"This is Mical."

The historian bowed slightly as a greeting. "Good day to you."

"And this is Visas."

The Miraluka was silent.

"Canderous is with us as well, but he's out...Exploring at the moment," Carth concluded, choosing that last sentence very carefully.

"Nice to meet you all. Wow, it's like the whole gangs back together," Mission stated after greeting the new faces. Upon seeing her old friends again, she couldn't avoid but ask about the others. "Is everyone else with you? Revan, Bastila, Jolee?"

This is when the awkward part came into play. Carth nervously rubbed his hand through his hair. "That's kinda why we came to see you, Mission. Something's happened and we need your help."

Mission raised an eyebrow and moved her head to the side. "Is someone in trouble?"

"We're not too certain," Carth admitted with a shrug. "Look Mission, I hate to just jump straight into the point but this is urgent. Do you know where Bastila lives?"

This came the tense part. Meetra was silently praying for the force that this kid had the location of their old friend. If Mission didn't know, then their hope of ever finding Revan would be truly gone.

Mission crossed her arms and tapped her foot for a moment to think. Taking all that information from Carth took a moment to comprehend. "Bastila? I haven't seen her since the wedding."

Carth raised an eyebrow. "Wedding?"

Mission nodded as if it were obvious. "That's right. When Revan and Bastila got married. Weren't you invited?"

Carth shook his head. "No, I don't think I was invited."

"That's not really surprising. Revan didn't want to bother you while you were promoted to admiral. In fact, I think T3, HK, Big Z and I were the only ones who attended. I use to go over there from time to time until Big Z and I opened our business. We haven't visited them in a while. Are they okay?"

Carth suddenly placed both hands upon her shoulders. "Do you know where Bastila lives?"

"Sure I do," Mission replied, despite not receiving an answer from her previous question. "She and Revan live together in an apartment a couple of miles from here. It's been a while but I'm pretty sure I remember the place. Now can you tell me what exactly is going on?"

Carth hesitated to answer after remembering the conversation between he and Meetra the previous night. Meetra explained to him how Canderous mentioned dragging in people Revan might have wanted to stay safe. He turned towards said exile who nodded as if to tell him it was his choice.

Carth sighed and stood up right. "Mission, I'm not going to lie to you but it's a long story. To keep it short, Revan's gone missing, not too long after we defeated Malak. T3 has his location in his memory core but it's locked and only Bastila knows the code. We need to find her, to find Revan."

Mission was certainly surprised but nevertheless, nodded in acknowledgement. "I understand. I'll take you Bastila's apartment. You can explain everything to me on the way."

"That sounds good to me," Carth agreed with a nod. "We better get going."

Mission waited for the rest of them to leave before following, calling out to her friend along the way. "Big Z, watch the store for me, okay?"

Zaalbar growled in confirmation before reminding her to stay safe.

"You sure Zaalbar doesn't want to come?" Carth questioned as they exited the store.

"He'll be okay, he doesn't usually like social gatherings anyhow," Mission assured. She took out her datapad and begun to locate her old friend's apartment. "If Bastila still lives at her apartment, then it shouldn't take us too long to get there. We can go by speeder and get there in ten minutes or we can walk and get there around forty. You're call."

Carth turned to Meetra for the answer as it was her team.

"Well we don't have much credits to spare and rent some speeders. I saw we walk," Meetra suggested upon counting their currency finance status. "Besides, the walk will do us, give us a chance to do some exploring."

"If I know Coruscant, it's just non-stop buildings and speeders in every location," Atton stated out of the blue. "Wouldn't call this a tourist attraction."

Bao-Dur shook his head. All Atton ever did was complain. "You're unbelievable."

"Well then let's go," Mission requested, gesturing for the group to follow her through the busy streets. "Carth, fill me in on everything on the way?"

"Sure Mission," Carth agreed and walked with her ahead of the group. "Better keep your ears open, it's a LONG story."

With Bastila's location, the group followed Mission in hopes that they now had their destination, the person they seeked was finally found. All they needed to do now was simply travel there, find Revan's location and then rescue him. As simple as that sounded, Meetra knew she had a long way to go before finding her old friend's location.

While walking, Meetra decided to inform Canderous of their current status. She contacted his comlink and waited a few beeps before he answered. " _What?_ " he questioned.

"Canderous, we've found Bastila's apartment, we're on our way there now," Meetra debriefed while trailing behind the back of the group. "Just keeping you informed."

" _Seems like your search has finally payed off. Good,_ " Canderous responded. " _Well I doubt she'll want to see me. I'll meet you back the Hawk once you've finished up your business. Ordo out._ "

* * *

With the crowded areas and different levels of Coruscant, it took Meetra and team a little longer to reach their destination than they hoped until they finally reached the apartment complex. According to Mission's knowledge, Bastilla lived at the very top floor, the penthouse suite. Since they didn't want to cause too much of a presence, only Meetra, Mission, Carth and T3 entered while the others waited outside.

The now small group of four entered the top floor via the elevator and proceeded towards the only apartment on this floor. Mission walked up towards the door and pressed the buzzer.

"This is the place," Mission announced and stepped back.

While they waited for someone to answered, Meetra couldn't help but nervously rub one hand against her arm.

This caught the attention of Carth who couldn't help but inquire. "Something the matter?"

Meetra sighed. "It's been a long time since I last met Bastila but I don't imagine she'll be too happy to see me."

Mission who was overhearing their conversation, added: "But why? Did you both part ways on bad terms?"

Meetra hated thinking back to her past yet again. It didn't get easier each time. "Mission, I fought with Revan during the Mandalorian wars. He and I took a handful of Jedi to fight them, but I was the only one who returned. The rest were either killed or joined Revan during his crusade as the dark lord. I remember when Bastila and I use to study together in the temple. I'm worried that she might be concerned with the relationship Revan and I use to share."

Despite their short time together, Mission and Carth could relate to Meetra's concern. Bastila did indeed tend to get very jealous at times, this was partially the reason how she fell to the dark side during Malak's war. However, it had been a long time and Bastila has matured.

"Hey, don't worry about it," Mission reassured, placing one hand upon the former exile's shoulder. "Bastila's a little rough around the edges at times but she would never let her pride get in the way. I promise, everything will be fine."

Although she had doubts, Meetra nodded as a thanks.

By now, someone had finally approached the door. A few seconds later, the door opened, revealing a young man.

"Hello," he greeted politely. "How may I help you?"

Carth raised an eyebrow. "I'm sorry, is this not the home of Bastila Shan?"

The man crossed his arms. "Bastila? No, not now at least anyway. My wife and I have been living here for almost a year now."

Mission stepped up as she recognized this man. It took her a moment before his face rung a bell. "Say I recognize you...Shen Matale, right?"

The man-now known as Shen-nodded. "Why yes, have we...Wait a minute, I remember you! You're Mission, right?"

Mission nodded in confirmation.

Shen smiled upon remembering the twi'lek. "Yes I remember you. You was with Exo and your friend Zaalbar when you helped rescue me. Gosh, it's been a long time!"

"Honey, who is it?"

"Rahasia, come to the door," Shen called back while he shook hands with Mission. "It is good to see you. I could never truly thank Exo for what he did for us."

Meetra raised an eyebrow as she turned towards Carth. "Exo?"

"Revan's name when he had his memory wiped," Carth explained in a whisper. "Better not tell them that though, they might not know."

By now, Rashasia has joined her husband at the front door. She immediately recognized the young twi'lek.

"Rahasia, you remember Mission, right?" Shen questioned, gesturing with one arm.

"Oh of course," she nodded. "It's good to see you again."

"Feeling's mutual," Mission agreed while she appeared to have forgotten the main reason they were here. "I'm glad to see you're both well, I thought you both settled down back on Dantooine."

Upon the mention of their home, the couple's happy expressions drop.

Shen sighed. "It is true, our fathers had built a home for us. Rahasia and I came to Coruscant for our honeymoon but that's when...When we found out the Sith had destroyed Dantooine. After that, we both bought a small apartment, got jobs and settled down here. Once we made a good living, we moved here."

"I'm sorry to hear about your loss," Mission apologized despite the five year gap since the events.

"Don't be, nothing could have been done," Rahasia assured, forcing a smile.

Carth cleared his throat loudly. He was never one to interrupt but felt like they were getting off topic.

"Oh right," Mission responded once she remembered. "Our friend Bastila use to live here, we're looking for her. Any chance you know where she moved to?"

Shen shook his head. "I'm sorry but I'm afraid we can't be of any assistance."

Rahasia stepped up. "But you can try asking the landlord, he lives on the very last floor. He should know where you're friend moved to,"

Although disappointed, Meetra spoke up. "Thank you for your assistance,"

"Anytime," Shen assured.

"Well we should get going," Carth suggested and took the lead back towards the elevator. The others followed shortly after.

"Goodbye," Rahasia called with a wave.

"If you see Exo, tell him we said ,"hi"," Shen added.

The group of four entered the elevator and begun to descend towards the bottom floor. Along the way, Carth couldn't help but vent his frustration.

"Dangit," Carth groaned in anger. "It's just one thing after the other. It's like the galaxy is tryng to stop us."

"We'll find her, Carth," Meetra reassured to ease his frustration. "Let's just talk to the landlord."

A few seconds later, they reached the bottom floor and located the landlord's apartment with ease. The title across his door helped a great deal. Meetra stood forward and ringed the doorbell, waiting for an answer. The sounds of gruffs and groans followed by items crashing echoed from within, causing the group of four to wonder what the heck was going on in there.

The door opened, revealing a small yellow patrolian. He looked up towards them and waved his fist in annoyance. "What do you want? I'm very busy."

"Sorry to bother you," Meetra begun to explain. "We were just wondering if you could help us find someone who use to live here,"

"Hey, do I look like an record keeper to you?" the landlord question irritably.

"You would be helping us a great deal," Meetra replied but her words were less than persuasive towards the patrolian.

The landlord crossed his arms, the chance of making some profit raced around his mind. "Maybe I can help...For a price."

Carth stepped forward. "Hey I happen to an admiral of the Republic."

"Want a medal?" the landlord questioned, unfazed by his position in the army.

Meetra placed one arm in front of Carth, assuring him she could handle this. She raised her arm and slowly waved her hand in front of him. "You want to tell me what happened to Bastila."

"I want to tell you what happened to Bastila," the landlord responded, falling victim to her mind trick. He scratched his head. "Uh, let me think...Uh, she told me she was moving about a year back. Said something about moving to somewhere more quiet."

Meetra waved her hand a second time. "You want to tell me where."

"I want to tell you where," the landlord said as if he were a droid. "Uh, when she moved, she told she was moving to...Lothal! That's it, Lothal!"

"Lothal?" Meetra questioned, unfamiliar with that name.

"It's in the Outer Rim," Carth explained. "I've been there before, it's like Dantooine in a way. It's a nice planet, one of the few that wasn't attacked by Malak or those Sith you faced."

"It makes sense that Bastila moved there," Mission piped up. "Corscants a noisy planet, Bastila and others like to meditate in peace in places like Dantooine."

Meetra was impressed by Mission's knowledge of the Jedi. Very few who weren't apart of the order could understand how Jedi relied on peace for their training.

"I guess that's our next destination then," Meetra assumed, turning her gaze back towards the landlord. She waved her hand one final time. "You will go back into your apartment and not speak of this conversation to anyone."

"I will go back into my apartment and not speak of this conversation to anyone," the landlord complied and closed the door, retreating into his home.

"We better get back to the Hawk," Carth suggested, taking lead yet again. "Come on."

* * *

 **And that concludes the part 2 of Reunion. I'll say it now, I always wanted to see Bao-Dur and Juhani interact due to their mutual dislike of Mandalore, hence that little scene I written between them both. Thanks for reading everyone and please, drop some reviews. You can't improve if no one tells you what you do wrong.**


	8. Chapter 8: Old foes

**Knights of the Old Republic 3: The Final Chapters**

 **Chapter 8: Old foes**

 **Hey guys, back with chapter 8. Wow, we're eight chapters into the story, hard to believe, right? Well I for one am enjoying this journey and I hope you folks stick with me to the end. Without furthermore enjoy the chapter.**

* * *

The group exited the apartment, reuniting with the others who had surprisingly not caused any trouble among themselves. With Kreia and GO-TO now absent, the tension had surprisingly calmed down a lot. The only remaining suspense was between Bao-Dur and Canderous due to their past along with a small rivalry between Atton and Mica, something Meetra couldn't figure out as to why.

"That was fast," Atton noted. "How'd it go?"

"She wasn't there," Meetra responded, walking straight past the scoundral. "We need to go to Lothal."

"Lothal?" Atton exclaimed. "That's like half a galaxy away. It'll take us at least a week to get there."

"May I ask as to why that is our next destination?" Mical politely inquired, irritating Atton as usual.

"Bastila moved there around a year ago," Carth answered before she could. "If she's still there now, then we need to go there as soon as possible."

"And just when I got comfortable," Atton sighed. "Well, back to the ship we go."

With their business taken care of, Carth approached Mission and placed one hand upon her shoulder. "Mission, it's been great seeing you again and we're grateful for your help. Wish we could stay and catch up but we have to get going soon."

Carth turned and moved to leave with the rest of their group. However, they stopped when Mission caught up towards them as oppose to going back to work.

"Carth, wait!" Mission called, catching up the admiral. "I was wondering….If Big Z and I can come with you?"

Carth stopped to consider it for a moment, unsure if he wanted to bring her into danger. This was the type of thing Canderous had warned Meetra about.

"Mission," Carth sighed. "We don't know-"

"Let me stop you there," Mission interrupted. "I know you're going to stay how dangerous it is and how I could get hurt, but that's never stopped me before. Revan did so much for me, took care of us when any other person on Taris would have ignored us. I owe him more debt than I could ever repay. Please Carth, there's something I have to do."

If Carth remembered anything from their previous experience, then he knew that Mission was as stubborn as a rock. He turned towards Meetra to hear her opinion in the matter. "It's your mission."

Meetra stepped forward and while she had doubts, she simply couldn't deny the twi'lek her will. "I would welcome any help you have to offer, our ship is your ship."

"All right!" Mission practically jumped for joy. "Thank you so much. We'll go and pick up Big Z,"

"Will your business be okay?" Meetra inquired.

Mission shrugged. "It's not the first time we've closed down for a little while."

With two more members apart of their group, everyone proceeded to make their way back towards the ship, planning to pick up Zaalbar along the way.

While they walked, Carth picked up the pace to match Meetra's. "Are you sure this is a good idea? Don't get me wrong, Mission's a good kid and can handle herself in a fight, but what if those Sith Revan chased are still there? Sith are tough for you to beat, let alone her."

"Where there's a will there's a way," Meetra responded calmly. "The force will guide us, Carth."

Meetra was forced to cut herself short when her comlink beeped. She answered. "Meetra here."

" _This is Canderous, I'm finished with my search for now,_ " Canderous explained. " _Find Shan yet?_ "

"Unfortunately, no," Meetra sighed. "She moved around a year ago, to Lothal according to information we've received. We're heading back to the ship now, Mission and Zaalbar are joining us as well."

Canderous gruffed in response. " _More mouths to feed then it seems. Still I suppose we could use an extra pair hands. I'll meet you back at the Hawk, Ordo out._ "

Meetra ended the transmission and joined the others as they made their way towards the Republic hanger. While they were certainly not in a rush, Meetra tried to be quicker as they already wasted enough time searching this planet.

As the group reached a rather large area, Atton who was leading the front of the group had suddenly froze in his steps. Everyone else followed suit.

"Something wrong, Atton?" Bao-Dur inquired.

Atton slowly moved his eyes, his hands ready to remove his blaster. "Something's not right….I have a bad feeling about this."

From experience, Meetra knew whenever Atton had a bad feeling it usual led towards bad results. "Stay on your guard," she informed everyone.

Now more cautious, everyone slowly continued their journey, keeping a close eye out for any danger. The busy streets of Coruscant made it difficult to hear, along with the distance chatter between civilians and speeds flying overhead. Minutes passed and so far nothing had occurred out of the ordinary.

Mical lowered his guard. "I do not sense any danger. Perhaps it was just-"

"Look OUT!" Atton yelled and shoved the Disciple to the ground, narrowing avoiding him from being pierced by a force pike.

Now sensing the danger, Meetra swiftly jumped forward and raised her hand into the air, creating a force wave they knocked their attackers away. Their stealth field generators failed, revealing familiar masked warriors.

"They're Sith assassins!" Meetra yelled, activating her lightsaber.

With the threat visible, those who were trained in the force took out their lightsabers while everyone else took out their blasters. Mission was the only one unarmed after leaving her weapons back at the store. Carth threw her one of his blaster pistols for defense.

Forming a defensive position, everyone prepared themselves for battle. There had to be at least ten of the assassins, each wearing the same outfit with the same weapon. Except for one that is, who appeared to be the leader of the group judging by his lightsaber.

"Friends of yours?" Carth questioned while choosing his targets carefully.

"Not of mine," Meetra responded. "They're Sith assassins, they strike from the shadows. We are lucky Atton detected them."

The leader of the assassins stepped forward, aiming his lightsaber towards her. "You may have defeated Lord Sion, but know that we will not be manipulated as easily."

With a small wave gesture, the leader ordered his troops to attack them. He activated his lightsaber, emitting a red blade that he pointed directly towards her. "You're mine, exile."

Meetra did not respond. She raised her weapon and prepared herself.

In the meantime, everyone else engaged the Sith assassins. Carth and Mission weren't exactly much use considering they couldn't get a clear shot with risk of hitting the others.

Juhani growled upon recognizing these assassins, knowing they were the ones who were responsible for the Jedi purge. She raised her lightsaber and charged. "I will be your doom!"

She engaged one of the assassins, striking with incredible speed. The assassin used his force pike to block her attacks but even with that mask, Juhani sensed his struggle to block her strikes. With faster speed, Juhani cut his arm before stabbing her lightsaber directly through his torso.

Out of the group of force wielders, Atton had the most difficulty. Even with lightsaber training, Atton struggled to keep up with the assassin he was currently dealing with, only just blocking his strikes in time.

The assassin continued pushing him on the defensive, striking as fast as Atton could blink. The scoundrel put up a good fight but was eventually overwhelmed The assassin knocked his lightsaber out from Atton's assassins. Refusing to give up, Atton delivered a swift punch, only to be countered by the assassin's pole knocking into his stomach, winding him.

"ARGH!" Atton groaned and collapsed onto his back.

The assassin moved forward, his pike raised above his head for the finishing strike. In one final desperate attempt, Atton equipped his blaster and fired two rounds. The first one was deflected but the second one hit the assassin's shoulder, knocking him off guard.

Taking his chance, Atton fired multiple rounds, each penetrating through the assassin with relative ease. The assassin succumbed to his injuries and collapsed back. With a sigh of relief, Atton recovered and joined the others in battle.

Nearby, Carth had unfortunately became engaged with one of the assassins. He stood in front of Mission as both attempted to blast him down but his speed made difficult to land a hit, not to mention he could deflect their rounds with his force spike.

As the assassin came close, he swiftly kicked Carth to the ground, knocking his blaster out the way while doing so.

"Carth!" Mission cried, grabbing the assassin's arm in an attempt to restrain him.

In response, the assassin whacked his elbow against her face before kicking her in the stomach. Stunned, Mission collapsed.

The Sith assassin stood over Carth and raised his weapon to strike. Carth shielded himself but that would do no good. The assassin slammed down his weapon for the kill but to to his surprise, he had been stopped halfway.

Confused, the assassin turned, shocked to see a mechanical hand restrained around his wrist.

"Warning: prepared to join your friends, meatbag." HK-47 hissed.

The assassin suddenly felt extraordinary pain shooting throughout his body, electricity paralyzing him in his place. His screams lasted on for a few more seconds before he collapsed, smoke emitting from his clothing. Carth never thought he'd see the day where HK-47 saved his life.

One by one, the remaining assassins fell. Despite their skills, they were no match for the crew. The only one remained was their leader, who proved to be more skillful than the rest of his men. He was currently engaged in a lightsaber duel with Meetra as both duelists attempted to gain an advantage over the other.

"Should we assist her?" Mical suggested.

Juhani shook her head. "I believe all we would do is get in the way. I am confident she can handle herself."

As the two continued, their blades locked in between, both trying to push the other back.

"I thought the rest of you perished on Malachor," Meetra assumed.

"So that was your doing after all," the leader hissed. "You may have defeated Sion and Nihilus but know that the Sith will never truly die. We will forever rule the galaxy."

"I don't think so," Meetra disagreed.

With swift speed, Meetra pushed his lightsaber to the side, causing him to almost lose his grip. Before he recovered, Meetra sliced off one of his hands, disarming him for good. She spun and impaled her lightsaber through him, finally ending this fight.

Their fight had caused quite the commotion. Citizens scattered throughout the area, not to mention the sounds of sirens in the distance heading their way. Worst, there were too many witnesses who would no doubt spread the word of their battle.

Meetra did a quick headcount to make certain everyone was fine. Apart from a few bruises and scratches, everyone was otherwise unharmed. "We should get going, come on."

Everyone begun to pick up the pace, no doubt seeking to escape before they attracted anymore unwanted attention. Who knows how many of those Sith assassins could still be around? Either way, they didn't intend to find out.

* * *

With faster pace, the group finally made it back to the Ebon Hawk. Along the way, they picked up Zaalbar up from the store, and the Wookie was more than happy to go along. A chance to help the man who he had saved him long ago lifted his spirits.

Meetra remained outside the Ebon Hawk, allowing everyone else to enter first. Fortunately, no more assassins had showed up but their stealth generators made it difficult to sense them through the force. Only through strong concentration and willpower could they be sensed.

A few moments later, a familiar mandalorian ran into the hanger.

"Canderous," Meetra greeted with a nod.

"Heard you ran into some trouble," Canderous noted, placing his repeater blaster against his shoulde.

"Sith assassins," Meetra explained as they marched into the Ebon Hawk. "Seems we didn't get all of them,"

"I'm not surprised," Canderous admitted with a shrug. "The Sith are like womp rats: you can kill them over and over again, yet they keep coming."

Meetra didn't have a response to that last statement. Instead, she closed the door to the Ebon Hawk's ramp and joined the others in the centre of the ship. Here everyone was gathered around, eagerly awaiting their next journey.

As Canderous entered the room, he couldn't help but note the familiar faces he once travelled with. "Mission Vao and Zaalbar and Juhani. It's like the whole gang's back together."

"Canderous," Juhani greeted with a sense of disgust. She still held a grudge against the mandalorians for their crimes on her planet.

Meetra, sensing possible conflict between her crew yet again, spoke up. "Everyone, as you might know our search for Bastila on Coruscant has been in vain. However we know her location: Lothal, a planet in the outer rim."

"That's a long way to go," Atton noted, crossing his arms. "Must be at least a week's journey."

"As far as it is, we must go if it means completing our mission," Mical replied, turning towards Meetra for confirmation. "That is our next destination, of course?"

"Of course," Meetra confirmed. "Now we have more crew but there's more than enough room and supplies for all of us. Our next destination is Lothal, we'll be leaving shortly. Any questions?"

No response.

"Good," Meetra nodded. "Meeting adjured, we'll be taking off soon."

That was their cue to get going. Everyone left to buckle down for takeoff. Carth and Atton moved to fly the ship within the cockpit, the scoundrel reminding Carth it was his turn to fly.

As the ship began to levitate, Meetra couldn't help but notice the discomfort face Zaalbar was showing. She turned towards Mission sitting beside her. "Is he okay?"

"He's not the biggest fan of flying," Mission explained, patting the Wookie's furry arm for comfort. "He'll be okay once we're in hyperspace."

With permission from the Republic officers, the Ebon Hawk was granted access to leave. Within seconds, they were off the planet and jumped into hyperspace, beginning their further journey into finding Revan. Next stop, Lothal.

The second they were in hyperspace, everyone didn't hesitate to get up and keep themselves occupied until the journey was over. Even with three new members added to their crew, they didn't exactly take up anymore space. With Kreia, Mira, and GO-TO now gone, it was as if Mission, Zaalbar and Juhani had arrived to simply free up the empty space.

Everyone was mostly in the same room together, but Juhani had decided to take up her old space inside the storage compartment. She was by no means unsocial, but after being on the run for so long, having to constantly look over her shoulder every minute, she needed some time alone. Meetra noticed this, but allowed the Cathar to rest and meditate in peace.

In the meantime, Meetra repeated her usual routine while in hyperspace: training. To keep prepared for more of those Sith assassins, she searched the ship for a sparring partner but everyone seemed busy.

Visas was mediating as usual, Mical was studying, Bao-Dur was busy making some upgrades to HK-47 with some help from T3 and Mission. Atton and Carth were flying, Juhani wanted to be alone, Zaalbar was stuffing his face with food and Canderous was currently exercising within the men's dormitory. In short, everyone was busy.

With the long journey ahead, Meetra threw her lightsaber down and preferred to practise her hand-to-hand combat. If more assassins had survived, she needed to be stay in war against the sith continued.

* * *

 **That brings us to the end of chapter 8. A little shorter than previous chapters, but adding some content from the next chapter would have made it seem a little dull. Don't worry, we'll be back to normal soon.**


	9. Chapter 9: Reunion

**Knights of the Old Republic 3: The Final Chapters**

 **Chapter 9: Reunion**

 **Hey, hey, we're back! I apologise for this update being a little later than usual. To express my appreciate for the wait, not only is this chapter a little longer than usual, but I'll have chapter 10 out tomorrow. Without another word, read away!**

* * *

One week had passed and needless to say, the journey had proven to be quite longer than predicated. Fortunately, Meetra held her team together without much hostility. Standing in the cockpit, Meetra watched as Carth and Atton piloted the Ebon hawk, dropping out of hyperspace as the planet came into view.

"There it is, Lothal," Carth announced. "According to our achieves, it's never been occupied by either the Republic or the Sith."

"A good thing," Meetra spoke up, eyeing the planet with curiosity. "It's beautiful in a way. The planet reminds me of Dantooine. I can sense no anger, no pain. It's quiet."

"That makes a nice change of pace for once," Atton added as he leaned back and begun to tap each of his fingers to count. "We've been to Peragus, Telos, Dantooine and other planets across the galaxy. Each time we ran into trouble, it's like we're cursed."

Meetra signed, knowing the scoundrel's words were true. "Let's hope we don't run into anymore danger. Take us down, guys."

With the lack of ships orbiting the planet, flying the Ebon Hawk towards the planet was rather quickly. This planet did not appear to have much of a government, let alone a few security ships. No wonder this planet had never been invaded by the Sith, nothing was worth taking over. For a Jedi, this planet was perfect.

Finding an uncopied landing pad in a relative cleared area, the Hawk touched down with perfect landing. Before exiting the ship, Meetra called another meeting in the usual area.

"Everyone, we're at Lothal," Meetra announced. "Now as you may know, we are searching for Bastila. We only need Carth, T3, Mission, Zaalbar and Juhani to find her. The rest of you are free to do what you want. Keep your comlinks open for emergencies. Meeting adjured."

There were no questions as everyone gathered their things and left the ship. There, a protocol droid accompanied with a human guard walked towards them with a datapad connected to one hand.

"Greetings sentients," the protocol droid welcomed politely. "I welcome you to Lothal. We are in section 6. You may find your local stores to your convenience in our town nearby. I must request that you pay one-hundred credits for your docking fee. But be assured that you may keep your ship here until you leave."

Meetra stepped forward without a reply, placing the required amount into the droid's hand.

"Thank you," the protocol droid nodded. "You may explore. Please feel free to to ask any questions if needed."

"We will," Meetra assured.

The droid left seconds later, leaving the now larger team alone. Although the area was small, a few of the locals eyed their way, not use to seeing so many new faces simultaneously.

"And here comes trouble," Atton stated casually.

"Stay calm, they're just not use to seeing many people," Meetra reassured as she monitored her team. "Carth's going to take to the offices and search for Bastila. As for the rest of you, feel free to explore. Just try to keep out of trouble, call for backup if you need it and don't use your lightsabers unless absolutely necessary."

Everyone nodded. Canderous stepped out of the team first, his blaster casually held against his shoulder. "This planet may be quiet, but that is the perfect hiding place for warriors of Mandalore. Join if you want, but I'm not babysitting anyone who does."

No one replied as the mandalorian marched off elsewhere. Mical noted a nearby library, and being a historian, it claimed his interest as he decided to explore on his own. Atton, as usual to no one's surprise, checked out the local cantina. This time, to his surprise, Visas accompanied him, most unusual. Nevertheless, he did not complain as the two left.

Bao-Dur was reading the map on his holocron and found a store that caught his curiosity. "General, there's a local droid store that specializes in combat. I may be able to find some equipment and restore most if not all of HK's old assassination combat."

Upon hearing the mention of 'assassination', HK's glowing red eyes widened further with joy. "Agreement: yes master, it would be a delight. Request: would you allow me to join the Zabrak? I would very much appreciate it."

That was a first, HK asking nicely. Meetra nodded. "Of course, but you will listen to Bao-Dur and not kill anyone unless self-defense. Got it?"

"Statement: yes master," HK-47 complied with little hesitation.

With two more leaving, that left the team in charge of finding Bastila. Meetra made a gesture for Carth to follow to which he nodded. However, being in a planet unoccupied by the Republic, his authority may not have much of an effect here. The search continued, but little did they know a hooded figure watched from the rooftops.

* * *

"-and I'll take one of those behavioural inhibitors, please," Bao-Dur concluded his purchase, handing the store owner the amount of credits.

"Statement: something approaching joy is growing within by behaviour core," HK-47 said as Bao-Dur loaded the last of the parts into his backpack. "Request: I ask that you be of most delicate when installing these parts. My assassination programming is my only purpose for activation."

"I'll be careful," Bao-Dur reassured, slinging the backpack over his shoulder. "It's best we do this inside the ship. Come on."

Exiting the store with his new parts, Bao-Dur checked the datapad for directions. Lothal was one of the few planets he had never visited, but upon landing, he pondered why. The place was beautiful, peaceful, everything those looking to escape the wars could arrive to. It was a surprise no one else was here.

As Bao-Dur broke his thoughts to continue, he was caught off guard when a small figure bumped into him. He looked to see a small girl, no older than ten-years-old crash. into his legs before continuing further, only to stop when seeing the assassin droid accompanying him.

With a small, frightened gasp, the girl turned to run in the other direction, only for a man to grab and restrain her.

"I got you now, you little thief!" he growled.

"Let me go!" the girl demanded, struggling to free herself.

Bao-Dur stepped forward, forcing the man to let go of her. "Hey, hey! What's the problem here?"

"That little good-for-nothing-thief stole from my market," the man responded as she hid behind Bao-Dur's legs. "Stole at least ten fruits from my stall."

Bao-Dur narrowed his eyes towards her. "Is this true?"

The girl nodded hesitantly. "Yes. I'm sorry, mister, but we're so hungry. We live on the streets with nothing but the clothes on our backs."

Now Bao-Dur understood. Homeless people were one thing, but a child left to defend herself. It was as bad as the refugees he encountered on Nar Shaddaa. His instincts immediately told him to help her and that's exactly what he intended. He had witnessed enough pain for a lifetime. "How much are those fruits?"

The man raised an eyebrow. "Two credits each. Why?"

Bao-Dur dug his hand into his pocket, picking out a handful of credits he tossed to the man. "There's twenty credits for ten. That should cover it."

The man counted each credit until he was satisfied. He nodded and prepared to leave, but not before issuing a warning. "If I catch her around my stall again, next time I won't be so generous."

He left shortly after. The girl, taken by surprise with the Zabrak's generosity, hugged him. "Thank you, thank you so much, mister."

Bao-Dur did not reply. He placed his one hand upon her shoulder before kneeling down to her height. "Get yourself somewhere safe."

"I will," she assured and ran away seconds later.

HK-47 witnessed the events transpire before making his opinion on the manner. "Commentary: it appears you share many traits with my current master. Why must all meatbags display a kind attitude? It makes me sickening."

"Let's just get back to the ship," Bao-Dur requested.

* * *

"Well this is a dump," Atton complained.

Accompanied with Visas, they set to a nearby cantina but the place was way too dull for Atton to enjoy. The place wasn't even half full. Even the cantina band were clearly bored from the lack of presence.

"Might as well have stayed on the ship," Atton said as he leaned back with his feet stretched. He noted the miraluka sitting in front of him, almost as a still as a statue. "You gonna drink your ale?"

Visas shook her head softly. "I do not need to indulge such a beverage."

Atton shrugged and took her drink from the table. "Suit yourself. Cheers."

As he drank down on his favorite drink, Atton still could not help but ask the obvious question. "So any reason you felt like tagging along? Didn't take you for the social type."

"My master suggests I need to familiarize myself with the crew of the Ebon Hawk," Visas answered, her voice as soft as usual. "If we are to continue accompanying her, she would it would be best for both our benefits."

Atton shrugged a second time. While he wasn't the best at making friends, Visas had not done or said anything that got her on his bad side yet. "If you say so."

With nothing more to do until Meetra concluded her business here, Atton decided to lay out some cards and keep himself busy for a while with a game of pazaak. Visas probably would not enjoy playing, not that she could see any of the numbers either way.

As Atton countered cards, he noted a familiar face sitting a table nearby. "Is that Canderous?"

"I am blind, Atton," Visas reminded.

Canderous was speaking with another two individuals dressed in blue mandalorian armor, no doubt members of mandalorian clans. While they were out of hearing range, it was clear discussions were going well.

"The Mandalore gathers his followers," Visas noted. "No doubt seeking to rebuild their race warrior."

"Think it's going to start another war with the Republic?" Atton suggested.

Visas did not reply, either unsure or not interested in replying. At that moment, Canderous concluded his business with the two soldiers. He stood and shook both their hands before heading their way.

Canderous did not stop, but greeted them as he passed. "Rand, Miraluka."

"Mandalorian," Visas responded. While she and Canderous never hated the other, they weren't exactly friends either, more of mutual allies.

Atton did not reply, more interested in his drink then making conversation. This was going to be a long day and no doubt their fearless leader was having a better time.

* * *

With the town being relative small, finding certain areas was not too difficult. In no time, Meetra had team had located the offices of information, hoping they would contain Bastila's details. Carth's position in the Republic should give them permission. If not, Meetra had her force mind techniques.

The others waited outside as Meetra and Carth entered. Upon arriving, they entered the reception as a rodian stood behind the desk.

"Hello sentients," she greeted. "Welcome to section 5 of Lothal office of information. May we help you today?"

"We're hoping to get some information on a friends of ours we believe is residing on the planets," Carth explained. "Any chance you can help?"

"That depends," the receptionist replied. "On what purpose to seek this information?"

Carth reached into his pocket and presented his identification. "I am an admiral from the Republic. Order laws, anyone ranked captain or over has authority to access information, even if a government is not connected with the Republic."

Meetra had to admit she was impressed with the way he handled this. He spoke firm yet polite with hints of kindness.

The receptionist understood and nodded. "I understand, Admiral Onasi. Do you know the name of the person you seek?"

"Bastila Shan," Carth answered without hesitation.

Within seconds, the receptionist found the results within their databases and transferred them to Carth's datapad. "Everything you have requested has been transported to your datapad, admiral. Is there anything else I may help you with?"

Carth shook his head, but that's when Meetra stepped forward. "Yes. Do you know where we can rent some speeders?"

"Certainly," the receptionist nodded. "Just down the street to the left you will find a local garage owned my cousin Rahrk. He rents X-34 landspeeders for one-hundred credits each."

"Thank you," Meetra replied with a nod.

Their business concluded and they were ready to continue. Outside, the others gathered as Carth brought up the datapad to read from.

"This is it," Carth announced, sliding his finger across the datapad to bring up the profile. Everyone gathered around as he read the details loudly. "Bastila moved her not long ago, bought a small farm and estate in...Section 7, coordinates 167,910."

"That receptionist said her cousin rented X-34's," Meetra added. "Given that distance and speed of the speeders, that'll take at least two-hours at max speed."

Their journey may not be over yet, but at least now they knew where to go. Without another word, they made haste to get the speeders and then reach the coordinates. Only a little further to go until they reached Bastila.

* * *

HK-47 was more than eager to get his new upgrades installed. The second he and Bao-Dur returned to the Ebon Hawk, he practically begged for him to begin. Knowing he wouldn't get any peace until he did said task, Bao-Dur complied.

Using the garage as a maintenance room, HK-47 sat on a small box as Bao-Dur got to work. "Request: do be cautious when tampering with my primary cores. One wrong move and you may dismantle my entire programming."

"I'm the one who repaired you when we first got the Hawk," Bao-Dur reminded while he opened up the top of HK's head. "Let's see here...Hmm, looks like I'll need you to power down so I don't break any circuits."

"Deactivation: shutting down," HK did not hesitate to power down his body, leaving him as cold as the many victims he happily put down.

Bao-Dur took his time and installed one part at a time. The first part he wanted to install was a new upgrade that would fix the static in his voice modulator and restore it back to normal. As a bonus feature, it may improve his voice modifier as well.

A small amount of time passed until Bao-Dur finished his work. His concentration almost broke when Meetra contacted everyone to inform them of their progress on finding Bastila. With satisfaction, he closed the hatch and turned the assassin droid back online.

"Activation: HK-47 online," HK spoke in his new and improved voice. That was until he listened to the sound.

"Oh dear," Bao-Dur whispered, taking a couple of steps back once he realized his error.

"Diagnostic: voice modification at ninety-six efficiency, default tone set to...Female!?" HK-47 stood in horror at the sound of his own voice. "Exclamation: what have you done!?"

Bao-Dur didn't know whether to laugh or run. Hearing HK-47's new female voice was amusing, but the assassin droid was clearly not entertained. "Calm down, I can fix it. Just power back down and-"

"Warning: get away from me now, you pathetic excuse of a mechanic meatbag!" HK-47 threatened as he stood and ran frantically around the ship.

Bao-Dur sighed, grabbing his tools to go and fix him. Perhaps that distraction from Meetra had more consequences than he thought.

* * *

The speeders they rented came to a halt upon reaching their location. There, in the middle of a field was a small house. Bastila's home. This was it, they had finally found the person they sought for a long time.

"This is the place," Carth announced, hopping off from the speeder he and Juhani shared.

The house was very similar to that of the Matale estate on Dantooine, only smaller to fit a small family. The six of them left their speedsters and approached the house. Despite their desire to get here, everyone was nervous. No-one had seen Bastila since the end of the war against Malak. Five years was a long time, long enough for anyone to change. They could only hope this was the same Bastila as before.

Upon reaching the door, a protocol droid stood behind an electric desk.

"Greetings," the droid welcomed in a female voice. "I am C2-P2. How may I help you today?"

"Is this the residents of Bastila Shan?" Carth inquired.

"Yes," C2-P2 confirmed, relieving everyone from worry of another wild goose chase. "Miss Shan has returned not too long ago. May I inquire to your visit?"

"We're old friends," Mission spoke up before Carth could reply. "Just tell her Carth Onasi is here to see her. She knows who we are."

C2 nodded, opening a comlink installed within her arm. "Miss Shan, you have six visitors here to see you. One of them is a Mr. Carth Onasi."

There was no response. A few seconds later, the door opened and a familiar face emerged. Carth watched as his old friend stepped out from her home, staring towards them with disbelief. Her appearance remained as it was, only this time she had changed her hairstyle to a ponytail and wore desert tunic clothing as opposed to her old Jedi robes.

"Carth," Bastila spoke in disbelief, slowing approaching her old friend. That's when she noticed more familiar faces. "Mission, Zaalbar, Juhani? T3?"

"Hey Bastila," Carth returned the greeting with a smile. "It's great to see you again."

Bastila continued moving until she stood only a couple of feet away from her old allies. Without another word, Carth and Bastila embraced in a hug. In the past, Bastila would never have performed such a feat, giving her famous lecture on how attachments were wrong. Time had changed this and now her views were different. Meetra couldn't hide her smile. Seeing friends and family reunited always brought a warm feeling to her heart.

A moment later, they released and Bastila moved to greet the others.

"Mission," Bastila said, placing her hand upon the twi'leks shoulder. "You've got so big since the last time I saw you."

"It's good to see you, Bas'," Mission expressed her happiness to see her old friend.

Bastila removed her hand as the large wookie approached, as tall as ever. "Zaalbar. You and Mission would never go anywhere without the other. I am glad to see you."

Zaalbar mumbled in response, placing one arm to give her a hug. This time, he remembered his own strength and made certain to be gentle.

"Juhani?" Bastila appeared more surprise to see the cathar alive and well.

"Hello Bastila," Juhani greeted with a nod. "I am relieved to see you are well. I feared the worst upon the beginning of the Jedi Purge."

"As did I," Bastila agreed as she knelt down to the astromech droid. "T3! The last time I saw you was...Was when Revan left."

A hint of sadness left her voice upon recognizing the old droid. This was to be expected. A few seconds of silence passed and just as Meetra opened her mouth to speak, a new voice spoke up.

"Mother?"

Everyone loomed over Bastila's shoulder as a small boy emerged from the house, no older than five-years-old. He had dark brown eyes, white skin and a shoulder length dark brown hair. The boy ran outside, watching curiously towards Zaalbar.

"Wow, a wookie!" he said enthusiastically.

Bastila formed a small smile, turning towards the group as she gestured towards the boy. "Everyone, this is my son, Vaner Shan."

Everyone's eyes slightly widened in surprise. While it was no secret Revan and Bastila were married, no one expected them to have a child as well. They watched as Zaalbar picked him up and placed him on his shoulders, causing him to giggle in enlightenment.

Seeing the sun going down on the horizon, Bastila shifted her attention towards the group again. "It's getting late. Please, come inside and we'll catch up."

Carth nodded. "Thank's Bastilla."

Gathering their three speeders, they parked them within the house' garage before following Bastila inside her home. It was relative nice, well cleaned and organized. She was doing quite well for herself, even without Revan to support her. Everyone took a seat on the couches as C2 brought them beverages.

"I am glad to see you all again," Bastila spoke but her attention was aimed towards the new face she had not yet introduced herself to. "I'm sorry, but I don't believe we've met."

"On the contrary," Meetra replied. "We have. Years ago, back in the mandalorian wars. My name is Meetra Surik. That name may ring a bell."

The mere mention of her name reminded Bastila many memories. She was taken back at first to see the old exile return, but calmed herself as she took a sip of her tea. "Yes, I do remember you. You fought with my husband during the mandalorian wars. You were close."

"We were," Meetra agreed, choosing her words carefully after she detected a small hint of jealously in Bastila's tone. "I am sorry for everything that has happened, Bastila. That's why we are here: to find your husband."

A hint of happiness and hope displayed on Bastila's face. Despite the mention of his father, Vaner did not appear to be interest in their conversation. He seemed too occupied playing with his toys nearby.

"You found him?" Bastila questioned slowly.

"Not exactly," Meetra replied. "It's a long story, one that has to be told now before we continue. If that's okay with you, of course?"

Bastila nodded. "Of course. Please, do go on."

Meetra opened her mouth to reply, but the sound of her comlink broke her thoughts. "Excuse me," she requested, answering the call. "Meetra here."

" _Exclamation: master!_ " an unfamiliar female voice screamed, startling everyone. " _That good-for-nothing-mechanic has performed monstrosity changes to my voice modulator!_ "

"HK?" Meetra questioned, familiar with his method of speech. "Is that you?"

" _Answer: of course it is me!_ " HK-47 stated as if it were obvious, but his female voice said otherwise, literally. " _Request: please, let me blast that poor excuse of meatbag through the head._ "

Hearing his new voice, Meetra could not help but chuckle softly. She couldn't remember the last time something amused her this much. As HK calmed, Bao-Dur's voice entered the channel.

" _Apologies for this, general,_ " Bao-Dur apologised. " _I'll have him back to normal in no time._ "

Meetra ceased her laughter to reply. "Roger that. Meetra out."

"Correct me if I am wrong, but is that HK-47?" Bastila inquired, her question aimed towards Carth. "The assassin droid Revan constructed?"

"Bingo," Carth confirmed. "Meetra will explain everything."

Meetra nodded and began her story, starting with the events that transpired after her exile. She kept her story as short as possible while trying not to leave out any important details. Her story told the events of each of the places they visited, the allies they recruited along the way and the Sith they face. By the time she had finished, nighttime had arrived, surrounding the house with darkness.

"-and that brings us to this day," Meetra concluded her story, taking a moment to gather her breath.

The story of the former exile left Bastila with much to comprehend. So much had happened in a short matter of time, the galaxy was in danger while she remained oblivious to everything here, at Sith Meetra had spoke of were unlike any she had faced before. One who fed on planets, another who refused to die and one more who manipulated everyone.

"This is the quite the adventure you have explored," Bastila noted while she now cradled her son who was beginning to show hints of tiredness. "Thank you for explaining. To find Revan, T3 needs a code to be entered?"

"That's right," Meetra confirmed. "I am hoping you know it?"

"Of course," Bastila replied in a certain tone. "Revan made sure I would never forget it. T3, approach."

The astromech droid complied and rolled towards her. Gently placing Vaner out of her arms, Bastila opened his memory core to examine the combination. A simple enter code. With no time to waste, Bastila made haste to enter the code. As she got to the last digit however, a threatening voice broke her thoughts.

"We know you're in there! Come on out!"

Bastila gasped, leaping up in a defensive stance. Everyone else was startled as they reached their weapons.

"Who was that?" Mission questioned, but received no answer as Bastila opened up the security monitor.

Bastila examined the residents outside her home, trying to use her Jedi training to remain calm. "I knew they would be here. Pirates. They arrived on Lothal a couple of weeks back and have been terrorizing homes for money. We have to stop them, for the sake of everyone here."

Meetra nodded. "We're ready. How can we help?"

Bastila opened a schematic of the estate. "There are two exits to the estate, the front and the back. Based on my security camera, I count at least twenty of them. They may not have the best skill, but their numbers make up for it. They are focusing their attention towards the front, but they may attempt to break in through the back."

"We won't let that happen, Bas'," Mission assured, standing firm full of determination. "Just tell us where you need us."

Bastila nodded and gestured towards the different rooms. "Meetra, Carth, I need you both with me at the front to cover all areas. Mission, Zaalbar, my bedroom upstairs has a clear view outside. You can provide cover fire. Do not shoot until I strike first. Juhani, I need you inside."

"I am Jedi knight of the order, I can take care of myself!" Juhani assured confidently.

"I know," Bastila assured. "That's why I need you as a last defense. If any of them get inside, I cannot risk harm to my son. Please."

Understanding her duties despite her doubts, Juhani nodded. "I assure you, I will protect your son's life with my own."

"Thank you," Bastila deeply expressed her gratitude. "T3, stay with my son inside the safe room. C2, I need you to monitor security, monitor where everyone is."

"Yes, Miss Shan," C2 replied.

Bastila leaped towards a nearby storage closet, opening the door with great speed. Inside was a fully established armory, more than enough firepower to deal with the pirates. Blasters, armors, grenadiers and most importantly, a double bladed lightsaber positioned on the wall.

"Grab what you need," Bastila ordered, grabbing some military armor to protect her torso.

"Talk about overkill," Mission said as she grabbed a sniper rifle with some ammo along with full body armor.

Bastila received her lightsaber with doubts on her mind. It had been a long time since she last wielded the weapon of her life. Hopefully she had not lost her touch from lack of training.

"You got one minute to come on out or we're blasting our way in!" one of the pirates warned.

Knowing time was limited, Bastila knelt down to her son, placing one hand upon his shoulder. "Vaner, there are so bad people outside. I need you to hide in the panic room, just like we practised."

Vaner nodded, slowly hugging his mother for comfort to which she returned. "Be safe, mother."

"I will," Bastila assured, leaning out from the hug. "Now go."

Vaner entered the panic room with T3. Bastila made certain to lock it before joining Meetra and Carth at the front exit. With their weapons gathered, everyone prepared to fight.

"This is it," Bastila noted. "I will go outside and distract them. When the time is right, strike to catch them by surprise."

"We will," Meetra assured, her hand firm on her lightsaber. "Be safe out there."

* * *

 **Cliffhanger! I know ya'll are thinking "Assassin, why would you end it like that?". But don't worry, I'm a man of my word, next chapter will be released tomorrow. Now for a bit of history for those who do not watch any of the new Star Wars material. The planet Lothal isn't made up by me, it was a world created for the TV series Star Wars Rebels and serves as the main setting for the first season. While it looks a little dull at times, I have always found out to be an interesting planet. Anyway, I'll see you guys tomorrow with chapter 10.**


	10. Chapter 10: Standoff

**Knights of the Old Republic 3: The Final Chapters**

 **Chapter 10: Standoff**

 **And here we are with the tenth chapter. Got to say, it only just feels I published chapter 1 not long ago. Anyway, enjoy chapter and don't forgot to review.**

* * *

With a deep breath to calm her mind, Bastila opened the door and slowly stepped outside, hands placed behind the back of her head, her lightsaber attached to her back. Meetra and Carth turned off the lights from inside to blend in with the dark environment.

"Okay you win," Bastila informed, faking surrender as she stepped forward. She put on her best pity and weak tone. "I give up, please do not shoot me."

The pirates only chuckled as they had their weapons aimed towards her. Their leader stepped forward. He was dressed in custom mandalorian armor, red paint with flames spray painted over his outfit. Clearly he was a mandalorian soldier, or a former one at the least.

"A shame, we were this close to throwing grenades," the leader chuckled as he stepped forward. "I am Coraid Gadol, proud warrior of the mandalorian clan. We have come for your credits, supplies and anything else you have of value. Comply and you live. Try something stupid and you die."

Seeing the time to strike was nigh, Bastila slowly moved her hands from her head, now standing firmly with no fear to display. "I have a better proposition. You can all surrender to the law and live or I kill you right here. Choose wisely."

Her threat fell on deaf ears as they chuckled. Little did they know of the mistake they were about to make.

Mission watched the events occur through her scope, her finger on the trigger. "Come on, Bas', don't do something stupid."

"What do you know, she has a sense of humour," Coraid chuckled, gesturing for his right hand man to fire. "Kill her."

The pirate did not hesitate to raise his rifle and fire, expecting to have a clean headshot. He watched in horror as two yellow blades emerged, deflecting the blaster bolt directly back towards him. In seconds, his own blaster bolt pierced right through his chest as he collapsed.

Coraid stepped back, taking out two blaster pistols. "Jedi?! Shoot her!"

A powerful blaster bolt shot from the second floor of the estate, hitting a second member of the pirate. A firefight begun as Bastila deflected their blaster fire while Mission provided cover from above. Seeing their cue, Meetra ran outside to support her while Carth guarded the exit, using it for cover as he picked off exposed pirates with his two blaster pistols.

"Two Jedi?!" a pirate screamed, dropping his blaster in horror as he moved to retreat. "I'm out of here!"

"Get back here!" Coraid ordered, but his position as leader suddenly felt useless. He only growled as he continued fire towards the Jedi.

Despite being retired for five years, Bastila had not lost her touch with deflecting blaster fire. Even without Meetra's help, Bastila managed just fine. As more pirates collapsed, Coraid opened his comlink for reinforcements. "Team 2, attack from your position. Go through the back of the house to attack them from behind. Kill anyone inside!"

Juhani watched the events occur though the CCTV hologram. Just sitting here while the others defended the Shan estate had her feel useless, even despite her important position to defend the inside. Her concentration was snapped by the protocol droid standing beside her.

"Miss Juhani, we have trouble from the south side," C2 informed. "Eight hostiles coming in two-by-two formation are attempting to break through the backdoor."

Her lightsaber held firm in one hand, Juhani stood only a few feet from the backdoor, ready to defend against anything that was coming. No matter what came through that door, she would stand her ground and fight.

In seconds, the door was forced open from the outside and in emerged the eight pirates. While originally determined, their confidence dropped upon recognizing a blue blade.

"Another Jedi?!" one of them gasped. "You gotta be kidding me!"

"Who cares, there's eight of us and one of her!" another assured, raising his blaster rifle. "Blast her!"

In seconds, red blaster bolts shot from multiple directions. Juhani deflected them with relative ease, approaching slowly to force them to back up. The second she was in range, Juhani did not hesitate to cut two of them down as they continued firing.

Using force speed, Juhani impaled her lightsaber through one of them to hit another. Four remained. She raised one hand and forced push three of them out of the estate.

The one standing-a trandoshan-growled in frustration. Throwing down his rifle, he grabbed a vibrosword from his back sheath and prepared to fight her. Juhani raised her lightsaber, preparing to defend. Trandoshans were not only skilled warriors, but their incredible strength made them just as a dangerous.

Simultaneously, they charged and engaged in a duel. Despite Juhani's lightsaber training, the trandoshan was remarkably skilled, blocking her every strike. With one strong slam, he knocked Juhani off balance before sending her down to the ground with a kick.

Now lying down and defenseless, the trandoshan raised his sword to finish her. In panic, Juhani threw her lightsaber forward from her grip. Her weapon pierced directly through his chest before he could strike. In seconds, he collapsed.

"Fool," Juhani sighed as she retrieved her weapon.

The remaining pirates she force pushed retreated, running off into the distance. Seeing her work was completed, Juhani retreated into the estate.

Meanwhile, the rest of the gang fell one by one. Despite their numbers, it was clear they were no match and had underestimated their opponents. Coraid refused to give up despite the heavy losses. As his men fell, he studied the battlefront around them. Bastila was on her own now. Meetra was too busy fighting sword-wielding troops while Carth remained at his position.

"That blasted Jedi!" Coraid growled, pressing a button on his gauntlet to activate his jetpack. Levitating in the air, he confronted Bastila as she finished off the last group of pirates attacking her. "You will pay for this, Jedi! Now come and face a real warrior!"

Bastila did not reply, raising her double bladed. Raising his dual blasters, Coraid continued firing, using his jetpack to to change directions hoping to throw her off guard.

"I gave you the chance to leave," Bastila reminded, deflecting his own blaster bolt that knocked one blaster from his hand. "Now you will feel the wrath of a Jedi. The force fights with me!"

"The force?" Coraid scoffed, throwing down his now damaged blaster. "Let's see the force protect you when I burn you to a crisp!"

He raised one gauntlet and a burst of flame emerged. Bastila would have been caught had she not rolled out of the way. With his free hand, Coraid threw grenades in different directions. With her concentration focused on the flamethrower, she only detected the grenades at the last second. Quickly, she leaped out of the way. Bastila avoided any possible damage, but still close enough for the grenade to knocked her back.

Bastila landed back first, growing upon the heavy impact. The blast caused a loud, high-pitched ringing to shoot through her eardrums. Growing, she struggled to recover as Coraid hovered over her with a chuckle.

"Time to meet your end, Jedi," Coraid calmly spoke, raising his flamethrower to finish her.

Mission witnessed the fight through her sniper and gasped. "Bastila! No!"

Coraid squeezed the trigger halfway, but a sudden malfunction in his jet back knocked him off course. He screamed in horror as his jet back caused him to fly in different directions. As seconds passed, he removed his jet back and landed on his side with a grunt of annoyance and pain.

Mission raised her sniper to finish him off. The rifle merely clicked, firing no more blaster bolts. "Blast it!"

It took Bastila a moment until she recovered from the blast, the ringing in her ears ceased. Coraid recovered too, raising his gauntlet to fire his flame thrower. It failed to fire, disarming him of another weapon.

With a groan, Coraid threw his damaged gauntlet to the ground and retrieved a dagger from his belt. "No more tricks! Let's see how you truly test in battle ARGH!"

Coraid charged and Bastila defended. His dagger was made out of the same material as vibroswords, allowing him to withstand the energy from her lightsaber. Bastila blocked each strike and countered by whacking her hilt against his face, knocking him off balance despite his helmet protection.

She attempted to finish him with a quick strike, only for Coraid to grab her hilt with one hand. Stunned, Bastila was caught off guard as Coraid kneed her in the stomach hard, causing Bastila to fall with a winded stomach. Landing on her back with one hand over her stomach, Coraid raised his dagger to finish her.

Bastila leaped back to avoid his strike, but not quick enough. She screamed in agony as the dagger pierced through her left leg, hurting further when he pulled it back out. The pain left her paralyzed, defenceless and weak.

"Your sloppy for a Jedi," Coraid noted with a sinister chuckle. "I am very disappointed. You're no Jedi. You're just a shell of your former life. I knew your kind were weak. The mandalorians will rise once again!"

Her bleeding leg may be painful, but nothing hurt her more than those who spoke ill of the order. Refusing to be killed by a mere mandalorian, Bastila raised her good leg and kicked him in the chest, knocking him backwards to put space between them.

Recovering, Bastila leaped on one leg, igniting her lightsaber to continue fighting. Moving her lightsaber in a defensive position, she steadied herself while using the force to tolerate the pain.

Coraid retrieved his blooded dagger, holding it in a backwards position as he stared down his prey. He removed his helmet, revealing an old and scared battle warrior. "Only the strongest survive, Jedi. Let that be a lesson you take with you to the grave."

Tension filled the air as both prepared to strike. Meanwhile, Meetra and Carth dispatched of the last pirates and turned their attention towards the showdown ahead. Carth raised his blaster to help, but Meetra placed one arm in front of him, shaking her head. This was something Bastila needed to do.

With a small roar, Coraid leaped forward in mid-air, his dagger raised above his head. Gathering the force to support one leg, Bastila leaped up. They crossed paths in mid-air, clashing blades once more. They landed simultaneously, freezing in their steps.

Silence filled the air, the blaster fire ceasing as well. Meetra watched as Bastila collapsed, clutching one hand over her leg, but not before she witnessed Conrad's head literally slipping off from his body. She did it.

"Bastila!" Carth cried, running over to her aid. He knelt down to support her. "You're bleeding!"

"I will be fine...Carth," Bastila assured between grunts. "There's a medical droid in the house."

Carth nodded as he and Meetra took each of Bastila's arms, helping her stand as they slid each arm over their shoulders. Deceased bodies were scattered around the beautiful land, blood smeared in every direction. This was going to take a while to clean up.

Entering the estate, the others gathered, filled with panic upon witnessing Bastila's injured leg. Vaner was present.

"Mother!" he cried out.

"It will be all right, Vaner," Bastila reassured between groans.

Mission knelt down, placing both hands on Vaner's shoulders for comfort. Escorting Bastila to the medical area, they gently set her down on the bed as Juhani activated the medical droid.

"Systems rebooting. Y2-P6 online," the medial droid's eyes lit as he approached the injured former Jedi. "Hmm, melee damage. Fortunately it does not appear any arteries have been damaged. This wound can be treated."

"Get to it then!" Carth ordered in a snappy tone.

"Patience," Y2-P6 requested calmly. "Now please, I request that you all leave."

Obeying the medical droids orders, everyone left Bastila in the droid's care. All they could for the time being was clean up the area and wait till Bastila was in stable condition. Everyone got to work. Juhani contacted the local authorities while Meetra attended to Vaner. Seeing his mother injured at his young age must have traumatized him.

"Miss Surik," Vaner spoke quietly. "Will my mother be okay?"

Meetra raised a smile, placing one hand upon his shoulder. "Your mother is strong, she will pull through."

* * *

"And that should do it," Bao-Dur said as he tightened the screws on the assassin's droids heads. Due to his previous actions, HK refused to shut down. "Test it out."

HK-47 ran a quick voice diagnostic before giving testing his voice modulator. "Diagnostics: testing, test, one, two, three, meatbags, testing."

Bao-Dur jumped down from the cate he used to reach HK's height and crossed his arms in satisfaction. "I told you I could get your voice modulator back to normal. I've upgraded your central processing unit and installed new assassination programs. You'll have faster reaction times and marksmen skills."

"Hesitant answer: I suppose I am to thank you for your assistance," HK-47 grudgingly expressed his gratitude. "Diagnostics: assassination efficiency up to seven-five percent, marksmen programming ninety percent and translation one-hundred percent. Statement: yes, good, well done, Zabrak. Your reputation is indeed better than calculated."

"Is that a compliment?" Bao-Dur questioned.

"Query: in a manner of speaking," HK-47 replied as he retrieved his blaster. "Request: now may we go and shoot something?"

Bao-Dur sighed. As he opened his mouth to reply, the ramp to the Hawk opened. Curious, Bao-Dur moved to see who he had returned. How did they get inside without him to open the ship? Leaving the garage, Bao-Dur stepped back when a hooded figure stood in the middle of the ship, both hands placed together.

Reaching for his blaster, Bao-Dur prepared to fire. "Who are you and what are you doing on the ship?"

The hooded figure did not respond. Instead, they revealed a staff and prepared to attack. Now Bao-Dur was in trouble, especially with his lightsaber in the garage. Slowly, he took a few steps back as the hooded figure crept towards him.

"I have come for the exile," the hooded figure demanded, their voice that of a female's. "Where is she?"

Bao-Dur did not reply, refusing to give the location of his old friend and leader. Before he could reply, HK-47 emerged from behind, blaster risen.

"Statement: ah, a melee warrior," HK-47 noted, dropping his blaster to the side. "Suggestion: my calculations show you are no match for this assassin staff wielder. I recommend calling for reinforcements while I will deal with this meatbag."

Although annoyed the assassin droid had basically told their opponent they could win, he had a point. With quick speed, Bao-Dur retreated and activated his comlink. "Everyone, we have an attacker aboard the ship! Repeat, a attacker! Need help, now!"

The voices of Atton and Mical responded almost immediately.

"I'm on my way!"

"Stay safe until I return."

The assassin stepped forward, staff risen above her head.. HK-47 blocked her way. "Get out of me way, droid!"

"Disagreement: negative, meatbag," HK-47 refused. "My calculations show I have a sixty percent chance of defeating you with any of my abilities. Suggestion: would you like to burn to a crisp or freeze like the depths of Hoth? I can deliver both if you desire"

The assassin growled, throwing a fury of attacks in a fit of rage. HK-47 dodged each one, narrowly missing each strike. Once his fun grew tired, HK grabbed her wrist to restrain her in his tight, cold grip.

Bao-Dur opened the ramp door to escape, but from the looks of things, they may not need any reinforcements. Nevertheless, he waited for Atton and Mical to return.

"Statement: you are clearly outmatch," HK-47 informed her calmly. "Suggestion: might I suggest that you drop your weapon before-"

Enraged, the assassin revealed an electrical taser and attacked, electrocuting HK into submission. Bao-Dur, knowing he was next, grabbed his lightsaber and retreated outside. HK could be repaired, he could not.

"Systems failing, master," HK-47 short-circuited, collapsing backwards on the ground as loose wires and burn marks covered him.

With the droid out of her way, the assassin made haste to follow her target. By now, Bao-Dur had made it outside, firing his blaster into the air.

"Everyone, get out of here!" Bao-Dur warned as everyone panicked from the blaster bolt.

The assassin leaped out from the ship, her staff raised. Bao-Dur turned and ignited his double-bladed blue lightsaber. However, he knew his chances to beat her were slim. Spending all that time repairing things left him absent from lightsaber training.

"The exile!" the assassin hissed, removing her cloak to fight without restrictions. "Bring her to me, now!"

"I'm afraid I cannot do that," Bao-Dur declined, raising his weapon to stay on the defenseless till help arrived. "Leave, while you still can."

Behind the cloak was a woman dressed in white, wielding a combat staff. Bao-Dur recognized her from before, a long while back when he first joined Meetra on Telos.

"I remember you," Bao-Dur spoke, almost dropping his guard. "You were one of the handmaidens that pulled me out from the ship on the Telos academy. "We met on Telos, you worked for that Jedi Master, Atris."

The Handmaiden leaped forward and attacked. "Your exile killed my master and my sisters! All of them!"

While he may not have been present on the attack on Telos, Bao-Dur knew different. "No, you are wrong. That was Darth Nihilus. General Surik would never do such a thing, she cares about all life."

"Lair!" Handmaiden snapped as he whacked her staff into his face, followed by a kick to his stomach.

Stumbling, Bao-Dur remained on his feet as he took a few steps backwards. He was relieved to hear a familiar voice call out to him.

"Bao-Dur!"

Emerging from the town, Atton, Mical and Visas arrived simultaneously, preparing to grab their lightsabers. Before Atton and Mical could do so, Visas held out her arm in disagreement.

"No," Visas declined. "I will deal with this assassin. She is trained well, her skills are beyond your abilities."

Atton did not hesitate to step back. Mical opened his mouth to reply, but after giving a quick thought, he stepped back. Next to Meetra, Visas was perhaps the most skilled out of them.

Visas ignited her yellow single-bladed lightsaber, taking up Ataru form as she moved her lightsaber to the side. "Stand down, assassin, for you are no match for my skills. Lay down your weapon."

"Not until the exile surrenders for her crimes!" the Handmaiden refused as she charged to engage with her opponent.

Fighting with their echani forms, the Handmaiden striked. Visas, sensing her opponent's desire to finish her quickly, remained on the defensive for now. Her skill was good, enough to easily beat anyone untrained. She may have even defeated Atton, Mical and Bao-Dur simultaneously had Visas not been here.

"Should we not assist?" Mical suggested.

"I don't think that would be wise," Bao-Dur disagreed. "We'll probably just get in the way. Anyone think we should tell General Surik about this?"

"Nah," Atton replied with a shake of his head. "She's got her own worries right now with the whole Bastila and Revan situation. We'll beat little-miss white hair over here first."

As Handmaiden threw another strike, Visas used her lightsaber to disarm the Handmaiden, leaving her without a weapon. Refusing to give up, the Handmaiden head-butted the blinded warrior and slapped her lightsaber from her grip. With a strong punch, Handmaiden knocked Visas backwards. In retaliation, Visas leg-sweeped her to the ground. Before she recovered, Visas delivered her own punch, knocking the Handmaiden unconscious and finally subduing her for good.

"Impressive," Mical complemented.

"It was nothing but a mere child playing with a weapon," Visas replied as she retrieved her lightsaber. "Yet I sense the force within her. She is strong yet weak. The force calls to her, but it as if she blocks it out of her own will, pushing it away. Unusual."

"As long as she can't use it against us, then I'm not one to complain," Atton spoke up. "Now what do we do with our little guest here? I could shoot her right now before she wakes up."

"Atton, killing her in cold blood would make us no different than those we oppose," Mical scolded, unfamiliar with Atton's humour.

"I'm kidding," Atton assured with a sigh. "Take a joke once in awhile."

"We'll lock her in the force cage in the cargo hold," Bao-Dur recommended, beckoning for Mical to help carry her. "Like you said, we'll keep it from the general for now."

Atton could only sigh as they picked up the unconscious Handmaiden and took her inside the ship. Somehow he had the feeling Meetra was going to make buddy-buddy with this assassin, then she would join the crew and then one more mouth to feed. "I have a bad feeling about this."

* * *

 **That brings us to the end of this chapter, fellow Star Wars fans. As you can see, we now have the Handmaiden introduced in the story. Stay tuned for the next chapter in a few days time.**


	11. Chapter 11: New destination

**Knights of the Old Republic 3: The Final Chapters**

 **Chapter 11: New destination.**

 **Hey guys, back with chapter 11. Before we start, I was wondering if anyone of you were interested, would check out my YouTube channel. I mainly do machinima GTA vids. The title is "TheAnimator727" with the link on my page. Without anymore thoughts, enjoy.**

* * *

As the night continued to cover the planet in darkness, Meetra and her team had not yet slept. 3:00 AM and they were all still wide awake. There had been no word from the medical droid since he attended to Bastila hours ago. The local authorities arrived shortly after the attack ended and helped clean up the area.

The only one who had slept after this whole ideal was Vaner, the son of Bastila. Being five-years-old, this was not too surprising. He slept in his room under the watchful eye of C2. In the meantime, everyone gathered in the living room to pass time. Meetra meditated, Carth and Mission played pazaak, Zaalbar was making some adjustments to his crossbow and Juhani sat on her own.

"Stick on ninteen," Mission said as she placed down her cards.

Carth took a risk to rise from his 14 to a 20. One card was placed down, but unfortunately, it had landed on 22, leaving him bust. "You win again."

"You sure like your pazaak," Meetra noted with a smile. "You and Atton would get along like a house on fire."

"I could do with a challenge," Mission admitted, her comment causing Carth to playfully shove her. Losing five games in a row, Carth decided to catch up on the news. Mission, eager to continue, called out towards the cathar sitting on the far side of the room. "Want to play, Juhani?"

"No thank you," Juhani politely declined. Her tone indicated something was on her mind, but no one said otherwise.

Except for Meetra that was. Though the force she sensed something on Juhani's mind, something of guilt and disappointment. Curious, Meetra stood and sat beside the cathar out of the other's hearing range.

"Juhani, is something wrong?" Meetra inquired. "Something's been on your mind since the attack."

Knowing she was caught, Juhani let out a long sigh before replying. "In the attack, I engaged combat with a trandoshan warrior. He was strong, skilled and almost defeated me in combat. He would have killed me had I not thought fast."

Meetra raised an eyebrow, unsure on the exact problem. "I don't understand, Juhani."

"He almost killed me, Meetra," Juhani responded, her voice slightly raising. "Me, a Jedi of the order, was almost killed by a mere trandoshan."

"Their species are of a strong and warrior race," Meetra reminded to see the bright side of the situation.

Juhani did not share her enthusiasm. "That is no excuse for a Jedi to have been beaten so easily. We are trained as guardians of peace, to defeat the evil and restore order. If the stories are true and Revan is out there fighting the Sith right now, how am I to help when I cannot even defeat a mere pirate? I feel useless, weak. I am no Jedi, I am just a pathetic excuse of a cathar holding a lightsaber."

Her now louder tone had attracted the other's attention. Before they could, Meetra held out her hand to assure them she could handle this. Carth nodded and returned to his duties as before.

Meetra placed one hand upon Juhani's shoulder to which she had almost shrugged off. "Juhani, I understand what you are feeling. The thought of not being able to help others use to leave me terrified. That's why I followed Revan to war years ago. All I wanted to do was protect people. After the war, after Malachor, I was cut off from the force. It was gone, it was like I had gone deaf."

Juhani widened her eyes in surprise. "You were cut off from the force? I did not believe such feat was possible."

Meetra nodded. "It was scary, I felt alone as I traveled the galaxy from planet to planet with no destination in mind. It wasn't until I finished my exile that I felt the force again. I use to believe the council had did this to me, but no. I was a wound in the force, caused by my fight in Malchor. It's a feeling I never want to experience again."

As she concluded, Juhani was quite surprising after hearing her story. Here she was feeling pity on herself just from losing one fight, but here, the woman sitting beside her she barely knew had lost more than no-one could imagine. To live without the force was an experience she never wanted to endure. "I...We...I see. I understand now. I am sorry for my self-doubt. I am more pathetic than I realize."

"No, you're not," Meetra disagreed. "We can be the best warriors, but we'll still lose at times. You're part of my team now. I'll help you to with sparing. I could do with a new partner to train my own skills."

For the first time since they met, Juhani raised a small smile. "Thank you, Meetra Surik. You are a perfect example of what we Jedi should truly be."

Meetra only nodded, happy to help however she could. It was what she was good at. At that moment, the door to the medical bay opened and out emerged the medical droid. Everyone stood to hear the news.

"How is she?" Carth inquired.

"Miss Shan is now in stable condition," Y2 assured, causing everyone's worries to ease. "Her leg will recover in time. She will need a power chair to get around long distances. As long as she rests and not push any pressure on her leg, she'll recover within a month or two. You are welcome to see her if you wish."

Without hesitation, everyone pushed past the medical droid to visit her.

"You're welcome, by the way," Y2 replied with a hint of sarcasm.

Everyone gathered around the bed Bastila rested, a bandage now wrapped around her leg. She now wore a medical robe as her current clothing needed cleaning from the battle.

"I am glad to see everyone is well," Bastila admitted in relief. "How is Vaner?"

"He's good," Carth assured. "He's sleeping with C2 watching over him. How are you feeling, Bastilla?"

"Well, let's just say getting stabbed isn't exactly fun," Bastila answered with a sense of humour, a first for some to witness. She narrowed her eyes towards the exile standing to her left. "Meetra."

The former exile stepped forward. "Yes?"

"Find Revan," Bastila pleaded, reaching out one hand towards her. "Find him and bring him home. End the threat of the Sith once and for all. Restore order to the galaxy. Can you do it?"

It was a lot to ask for, much Meetra had on her mind since the start of her journey. With a nod, Meetra took Bastila's hand and looked her deep into the eyes with a firm look. "I promise. I will find Revan and bring him back."

Bastila nodded. "Good. T3, allow me to enter the rest of your code."

The astromech droid happily rolled over with his still exposed memory core. Using her other hand, Bastila entered the remaining code. In a matter of seconds, T3's memory was restored to maximum as he beeped and rolled around excitedly.

"What's he saying?" Carth inquired.

Meetra waited until he finished his exciting behaviour and spoke quietly. "He says five years ago, he accompanied Revan to find the Sith until they were shot down in the Hawk...On Dromund Kaas. That planet rings a bell."

"It should," Bastila agreed. "It is located in the Esstran sector, in the Sith Worlds System, forgette in the Unknown Regions. The Republic and the Jedi defeated the Sith in the Great Hyperspace War. I did not expect them to have relocated there."

"And that is why it is the perfect place," Juhani spoke up with her arms crossed. "Now we know where Revan is, we can get going as soon as possible."

Bastila spoke up before any of them could agree. "It is late and you all look exhausted. Please, spend the night before you depart. There are two guest rooms, more than enough room to fit all of you."

Meetra nodded. "We thank for your hospitality, Bastila. Is everyone up for spending the night?"

There were a group of answers, each one in agreement.

"I guess we better call it a night," Carth agreed as a yawn escaped his mouth. "Sleep well, Bastilla. Come everyone."

The others gathered and left the room one by one. Meetra and T3 were the last to leave, but that was until Bastila had called them back.

"Meetra, T3, wait," Bastila requested. "I need you both to do a favour for me."

Meetra nodded, closing the door behind them for privacy. She joined the former Jedi knight beside her. "Something I can help you with?"

"Yes," Bastila nodded. "You may remember my husband as stubborn, always refused to back down from a fight. I fear he may not wish to return. I want T3 to record a message tomorrow morning once I am back on my feet.. When you find Revan, show it to him. I want him to remember that I have not forgotten about him after all of these years, I want him to know about his son. Will you do that for me?"

Without hesitation, Meetra nodded as T3 beeped. "Of course, Bastilla. First thing in the morning."

"Thank you," Bastila thanked. "Revan is lucky to have a friend like you. As am I."

"Get some rest, Bastila," Meetra instructed. "You've earned it."

With the conflict at an end and the location of Revan discovered, Meetra retreated to one of the guest rooms, knowing she could sleep easy for the night with so much off her mind. It would not be long now until they found him.

Meetra could only hope the dark side had not corrupted him a second time.

* * *

Morning came quite earlier than expected. Meetra had almost forgotten what it was like to wake within a peaceful environment. While the ship usually served for such occasion, it felt more comforting resting on a planet. With a small stretch, she stepped from her bed, donned her Jal shey armor and left the guest room she had shared with Juhani that night.

The cathar was still resting within her own bed a few feet apart. Judging by her motionless position, she wouldn't be waking up anytime soon. Leaving, Meetra entered the living room and was surprised to see Carth, Bastila and Vaner already awake, the second more surprisingly. T3 accompanied them, pacing around them for entertainment.

"Morning," Carth greeted, holding a holocron in one hand with coffee in another.

"To you too," Meetra agreed with a nod. She took a seat on the other couch as she inspected Bastila's condition. "How you feeling?"

"Better, surprisingly," Bastila answered, raising her injured leg. "The damage was not as severe as I was led to believe. With some exercise, I'll make it to full strength. While at it, I should retrain some of my forms. Last night I was a little off my guard."

This was turning into a repeat of Juhani's situation the previous night. Meetra replied, "You did good, very skill for one as a sentinel. That mandalorian certainly learned so. He should have quit while he was a head."

Carth softly chuckled to her rather dark yet humorous joke. It was refreshing to see a different side of her as opposed to her usual calm and almost motionless speech.

While she had only just woke up, Bastila was eager to fulfill last night's request. "Meetra, is it all right if we start the message now?"

"Of course," Meetra nodded and turned towards the small astromech droid. "T3, prepare to record."

T3 beeped, a small hatch on the side of his head opened. A blue light emerged as he begun to record mother and son together.

With a strong exhale, Bastila begun. "Revan my love. I am unsure if you will one day see this, but I never doubted you would return someday. And I also thought it was best to see how fast your son is growing," she placed one arm over Vaner. "Say hello to your father, Vaner."

"H-H-Hello, father," Vaner trailed off nervously, unsure of what exactly was occurring.

There was a brief silence until Bastila continued. "I am sorry you weren't here to agree on a name with me. I want him to understand who you are, i want him to understand you are apart of him."

"Mother talks about you, father," Vaner added. "Will you be home soon?"

Bastila only smiled as she held her son closer towards her, making certain Revan would get to see him full. "Revan, if you are out there, if you are still alive...Please...Come home…" her voice was beginning to break, overwhelmed with emotion. She held back tears as she whispered: "Goodbye Revan."

With a signal from Meetra, T3 finished the recording.

Bastila gathered herself, getting back to her usual self.

Meetra placed one hand upon her shoulder for comfort. "Rest well, Bastila. I promise we will find Revan and bring him back to you."

* * *

Once everyone was awake and ready to go, Meetra gathered the small group as they prepared to leave. Bastila, able to walk under her own strength despite the medical droid's warnings, joined them outside to bid them farewell for now.

Carth shook hands with Bastila as they bid the other goodbye. "We'll see you soon, Bastila."

"Take care, Carth," Bastila agreed before turning her attention towards Meetra. "Before you leave, there is something I must give you. Here."

Meetra accepted the small object in one hand that was covered with a rag. Unwrapping the clothing, her eyes widened upon recognizing a familiar object, one she had not witnessed in years. "Is that-"

"Revan's mask," Bastila confirmed. "After we captured Revan, I kept the mask hidden from the council for all these years. I am not sure as to why, but I feel that it must be returned to it's rightful owner. When you find Revan, please give this to him. It may be the key to answering why he had travelled to the unknown regions in the first place."

The mask brought back memories that had Meetra locked her thoughts for a moment until she came to her sense. "I promise, I will get this to him."

Bastila offered her hand out towards the former exile. "I will see you soon. May the force be with you."

Meetra accepted her hand shake. "To you as well, Bastila."

Without another word, the group of six reboarded their speeders and drifted away from her home, setting course for the Ebon Hawk as fast as they could. They finally had a destination to being their search for Revan.

As Bastila watched them depart, her son accompanied her as his new friends became dots in the distance.

"Is father coming back now?" Vaner inquired.

Bastila raised a small smile as she placed a hand upon her son.

"Yes Vaner. Revan is coming soon."

* * *

The second they returned the speeders back to their rightful owner, Meetra and team made haste to get back to the Ebon hawk. Upon arriving, they note the others waiting for them outside and judging by their faces, something had occurred while they were away.

"What's going on?" Meetra questioned, sensing their distress through the force.

"We got a little problem," Atton replied, placing an emphasis on the 'little'.

"That academy on Telos, one of the Handmaidens boarded the ship last night," Bao-Dur explained. "She wanted you, claimed you killed her master and sisters."

Meetra crossed her arms, now intrigued yet concerned for this possible new threat. As if she didn't have enough on her mind to worry about. "Where is she now?"

"We got her locked up in the cargo hold," Atton answered. "Not sure what you wanted us to do with her and not like you needed to know while you were finding Bastila."

Meetra nodded as a gesture of thanks. "I'll deal with her. Everyone get on board and prepare for take off."

"What about the Handmaiden?" Carth questioned, slightly nervous to be flying with a possible killer in their midst.

"We're already on a tight schedule, we cannot afford to waste anymore time," Meetra replied. "Let's get going."

The crew boarded with Mical doing a quick headcount to make certain no one was missing. Everyone spreaded out to prepare for hyperspace. As for Meetra, she wanted to meet their new guest. Working her way to the cargo hold, there was the Handmaiden, locked in a force cage with HK-47 guarding her outside.

"Greeting: hello master," HK-47 greeted, his blaster aimed towards the Handmaiden. "Statement: your historian ally requested that I remain here and guard our new guest. Request: if you agree, I could modify this force cage to end her existence right now."

Meetra shook her head with a sigh. "That won't be necessary, HK. Go to your duties."

HK-47 sighed, his programming beginning to process why he bothered asking. He retreated elsewhere as the ship's engines could be heard powering up.

Now alone, Meetra stood in front of the force cage to question their new guest. "Hello. May I ask your name?"

The Handmaiden did not reply, staring towards the exile with look of displeasure.

"Okay," Meetra answered slowly, knowing her previous question was not going to get an answer. "Can I least ask why you're here?"

This time the Handmaiden replied. "I sought you for answers. Once my knowledge is fullfilled, your fate will be decided."

Meetra raised an eyebrow, confused. Was that a threat? Shaking her head, she sat down to match Handmaiden's current height. "I don't want to keep you locked away like this, but my crew informs me you attacked them, to get to me. Why?"

Raising her hand, the Handmaiden removed her hood, revealing her full face and short, white hair. "You and my mistress were former allies. I was sent on a mission during the attack on Telos. When I returned, my mistress and my sisters were dead. I sought you for answers. My main believe is that you killed them, but now that I have had time to center myself, I am willing to hear from your side."

Although she did not show it, Meetra was surprised. Atris dead? Last time she saw the former Jedi council member, she had defeated her after Atris was corrupted by Kreia. "I am sorry for your loss, but I give you my word I had no involvement in your sisters' or Atris' death."

"They were impaled by that of a force pike," Handmaiden added. "And I can see from here you wield a lightsaber."

"Sith," Meetra replied almost immediately. "Nihilus had an army of Sith at his disposal. They may have been the ones who murdered them."

"That it is as I feared," the Handmaiden replied with a small sigh. "My seeking you out for revenge, I have become the very thing my mistress taught me against. Kill me. You would be revealing me of a great burden."

This was certainly getting more strange by the second. This Handmaiden clearly had no intention of living by the circumstances. By now, the ship had reached space and no doubt Carth and Atton were punching in the hyperspace coordinates for the Unknown Regions.

"I won't kill you in cold blood," Meetra refused as she stood. "Handmaiden, I am truly sorry for what has happened and I thank you for trusting my word, but that does not mean you should give up. Your sisters and mistress live on through the force, they will always be with you."

The Handmaiden remained silent. Instead, she watched as Meetra deactivated her force cargo. She stood and stepped out from her small prison.

"You take such a risk freeing me," Handmaiden noted. "How do you know I won't try and kill you?"

"Because you have nowhere to run if you do," Meetra replied as she turned her back, approaching a storage compartment to retrieve her staff. "We're about to enter hyperspace. As soon as we find Revan, we can-"

"Revan?" the Handmaiden interrupted. "The former dark lord and redeemed Revan is alive?"

"Yes," Meetra confirmed, tossing Handmaiden's staff towards her. "We can drop you off somewhere if you like. Feel free to explore the ship, but don't be surprised if they don't give a warm welcome. Nothing personal."

The Handmaiden was no doubt surprised by her kindness, even knowing she was risking her own life by doing so. This almost left her speechless. "I..Uh...I thank you, but I will remain here out of everyone's way."

Meetra only nodded as she left to go and join Carth and Atton. She passed the others along the way, informing them of the Handmaiden's current role. While others had doubts, they did not question Meetra's decision and agreed to not cause any hostilities. Or try to at the least.

"How are we doing?" Meetra inquired as she entered the cockpit.

"Just getting ready to launch now," Carth replied. "It'll be a long journey, the Unknown Regions are far. We may need to stop at Manaan along the way to refuel."

"I'll leave it with you guys," Meetra assured.

"How's our new guest?" Atton inquired, spinning in his chair to face her. "She plotting to kill us now or when we're asleep?"

"We talked and it was just a misunderstanding for the most part," Meetra explained. "She'll be staying with us for now. Next time we stop at a planet, she can leave. It'll be fine."

Atton raised an eyebrow to her decision. Nevertheless, he turned around and continued with his piloting duties. "If you say so. If I catch her charging towards me, can't promise I won't shoot."

Meetra nodded. She took a seat as the pilots finished entering the coordinates. Within seconds, the familiar portal of blue light appeared before them as they entered hyperspace, course set for Manaan and then to the Unknown Regions.

* * *

 **And that brings us to the end of this chapter, ladies and gentlemen. The crew were now getting course for Dromund Kaas, home planet of the Sith. Stay tuned for chapter 12 and don't forget to review.**


	12. Chapter 12: Ambush

**Knights of the Old Republic 3: The Final Chapters**

 **Chapter 12: Ambush**

 **Hey guys, back with chapter 12. Don't have anything for this author's note, other than enjoy.**

* * *

Hyperspace travel never got any easier, especially on long journeys. Passing time was the only alternative option other than boredom. Since rejoining the crew, Mission already got settled and was more than happy to spend time on the ship.

Within the garage, Mission was practicing her melee with Meetra. Her sparring partner was more than happy to help teach her some combat. To prevent any physical or weapon damage, they two were training with wooden vibroswords.

"Keep your guard up on the left side," Meetra advised, tapping her weapon into said side.

"Roger, roger," Mission replied with a hint of mockery. "Thanks for the help, I did ask Canderous for help, but he said and I quote, "I don't have time to train brats".

From the hallway, they heard the familiar mandalorian call out, taking offense for her mocking his voice. "I heard that!"

Meetra couldn't avoid a small chuckle as she ignored Canderous. "It's no problem. You've got skill. Not your first time using one?"

"I've owned my own blade since I was a kid," Mission explained, ducking to avoid an attack. "I was never really the best with it, but I carried it around for sentimental value. Revan taught me a few tricks once, saved my life on one occasion."

* * *

 _"Lord Malak was most displeased when-"_

 _"Yeah, yeah, we heard that one before," Revan blew off their threats, igniting his lightsaber. "Are we going to stand around all day or are we going to fight?"_

 _The three dark Jedi attacked. While Bastila was annoyed by her partners lack of discipline, she would scold him later. Now, she ignited her own lightsaber and jumped into battle against them. As weapons collided, the third Sith had attacked Mission who was unfortunate enough to be with them at the time._

 _The Sith attacked her. Without a thought, she raised her vibrosword and successfully blocked against his lightsaber. However, due to his high training, it was not long until the dark Jedi overpowered her, kicking her against a wall._

 _Caught between life and death, Mission had to act fast. This dark Jedi may allow his pride to get the better of him. Slowly, he raised his lightsaber for the killing blow as Mission put on her defenseless face. With perfect timing, Mission thrust her vibrosword forward, impaling the surprised dark Jedi through the abdomen._

* * *

"Revan always did have a kind heart," Meetra agreed. "No matter what happened, he would never allow anything to happen for the ones he loved."

Mission raised a smile in agreement. "It'll be good to see him again."

Their training concluded a couple of moments later. Mission thanked the former exile for her help before leaving elsewhere. She took a break from training as she fixed her hair up via the mirror attached to the wall.

Her only company was Bao-Dur, who had been silent while he tinkered with some equipment. "The kid sure is enthusiastic."

Meetra smiled in agreement. "No need to tell me twice. She reminds me of myself when I was a padawan: young, excited, ready to take on the world and never letting nothing get me down."

Bao-Dur wished he shared her opinion, but he could only think of the negatives outweighing the negatives. "That's what worries me. If everything is true about this Sith world, then it's dangerous for an army of Jedi, let alone someone of her age. I'm not doubting your invitation to Mission, but I can't avoid my concern."

Needless to say, Meetra was not surprised at this, something she had thought of beforehand. "It is dangerous, and I couldn't agree with you more, but she has a desire to help Revan for all of his help and I don't want to stand in the way of that. Besides, I don't intend to take her into battle, only as back up."

Though a small part of him said otherwise Bao-Dur nodded. "I don't doubt your word, general."

Before their conversation continued, the sudden turbulence that shook the entire ship snapped everyone out from their thoughts, the sound of the hyperdrive came to a halt. The ship continued to shake as Meetra struggled to keep herself balanced.

"Carth!" she called over her comlink. "What's going on over there?"

"We've been pulled out of hyperspace!" Carth responded as he struggled to maintain control, even with the help of Atton. "Everyone brace yourselves!"

The ship continued to bolt as it's control was no longer in their hands. Through the glass, Carth watched in awe as a corona-class armed frigate hovered above them, trapping the Hawk in a tractor beam.

"Pirates," Atton noted. "Only their type fly those ships."

"There's nothing we can do to escape," Carth admitted, grasping his chair for balance. "We're going in."

Slowly but surely, the Ebon Hawk drifted through space as the open hanger came into flew. Now that the turbulence ceased, everyone gathered in the center of the ship, their weapons at the ready.

"We're ready to fight," Carth said confidently, drifting his attention towards the former exile. "What's the plan?"

Meetra's response was not one they were expecting. "We're not going to fight them."

This sparked a mixture of emotions through the crew, some in confusion while others begun to think she was crazy. There was at least a dozen of them, half of which were force wielders.

"Did you got knocked in the head?" Canderous questioned. "In case it hadn't dawned on you, we have weapons and I don't intend to tell my troops I surrendered to a bunch of pirates."

"And you won't," Meetra reassured. "Listen to me, there could be hundreds of them out there, a thousand even. We're just one crew, not an army. They may not be the sharpest in the galaxy, but they're not stupid either. I don't intend to risk my crew's safety."

There was a brief silence as their ship continued to ascended, now reaching the entrance of the hanger. Whatever her plan was, she didn't have long to explain.

"What is your plan, exile?" Handmaiden inquired. "I suggest you make it quick."

Meetra nodded. "This is the plan…"

* * *

Zhun Skass grinned in satisfaction as their prize came into view. Nothing pleased her more than witnessing victims fall into their trap. Her troops gathered around her as they prepared to fight, all of which were of the weequay species, herself included.

"It's my favorite part of the day," Zhun chuckled, rubbing her hands together in delight. "A fine ship. I might keep this one instead of scrapping it for parts. Prepare yourself, boys. Only the rich type afford a ship like this, that includes protection."

Her men understood their orders and readied their blasters. As they prepared to force the entrance open, they were surprised to see the ramp had lowered down for them. The pirates raised their weapons as a woman, a man and a astromech droid emerged from inside the ship.

"We surrender!" Meetra announced, her voice clearly putting on a charade.

Carth couldn't avoid rolling his eyes. "( _They're never gonna fall for this._ )"

Zhun holstered her own blaster as she approached the taller woman. "You look a little young to be a smuggler. Where is the rest of your crew?"

"There is no other crew," Meetra replied as sincerely as possible. "It's just us."

Zhun grinned. "I doubt that. You, bind them. You three, search the ship."

"Yes captain!"

The pirates marched in formation as they entered the Ebon Hawk. Meetra could only hope this plan worked. Her worries continued as one of the pirates cuffed her hands behind her back, the same treatment occurred for Carth.

As a couple of tense moments passed, the pirates returned in the same numbers as before, one of them speaking for the rest of the team. "There's no one else aboard, captain. The ship's clear."

Needless to say, Zhun was surprised that her prisoner might have actually been telling the truth. "Interesting. And cargo?"

"Just a few blasters, a speeder and some food," the same pirate debrief. "Nothing of too much value."

Something was not right here, and Zhun intended to find out. "Have your men search the ship thoroughly, I don't want a single spot unchecked. As for these two, take them to the holding cells, I will interrogate them later."

"And the droid?"

"Take it to the mechanic room and see if there is everything stored in it's memory core," Zhun ordered. "Now get to work!"

The pirates obeyed their leader. While most scattered elsewhere, a small team prepared to research the ship while others escorted Meetra and Carth to the holding cells. So far, their plan was coming together nicely.

As they were escorted down a hallway, Carth leaned over to whisper. "I hope this works."

"No talking!" one of the guards shoved his blaster into Carth, forcing him to be silent.

With their leader and pilot imprisoned and weaponless, it was now up to the rest of the team to do their part.

* * *

"My legs are killing me," Mission complained between groans.

"How do you think I feel?" Atton retorted nearby. "I'm twice your height."

"Be silent!" Juhani ordered. "I sense that we are not alone. There are two men patrolling the interior of the ship. We must be patient for a little while longer."

With Meetra, Carth and T3 acting as the decoys, the rest of the team remained hidden within the vents under the ship, keeping out of sight from the pirates. The two patrolmen continued their search for the ship for now, until something caught one of their interests.

"Hey Zuk, come look at this!"

His partner rushed over towards the storage compartment where a lone droid remained idle. "It looks like one of those HK units. Those things are rare! The captain will be pleased."

As they shared a high-five, their moment of triumph was ruined when HK's eyes lit up. Before they could react, the droid clasped one hand against their neck while the other seized the second pirate by his arm.

"He's active!" one of them panicked.

Without hesitation, HK threw one of them into a wall and rendered him unconscious before slamming the other one into the ground. Had it not been for his master's orders, he would have gladly disposed of them right now.

From the beneath the ship, the floorboards were removed as the rest of the crew emerged from their hiding positions.

Sticking to the plan, HK-47 picked up one of the pirates comlinks as he programmed his voice modulator to mimic said pirate. "Hey, this is Zuk. We can take the rest from here, you guys go on ahead."

A brief response echoed from the other end. " _Copy that. We'll be in the barracks if you need us._ "

"Nice work, HK," Mission praised, surprised that such a killer could be strategic.

"Statement: if it were up to me, I would have gladly burned these pathetic excuse of pirates to a crisp," HK-47 admitted as he retrieved his blaster. "Now we will save the master?"

With a grunt, Atton slumped over one of the pirates over his shoulder to dispose of him elsewhere. "Not yet. We stick to the plan."

As soon as their ship was pirate free, Mical stepped up to address to the team. "Based off Master Surik's instructions, we are to divide into three times: Atton and Visas will attend on saving our friends while Canderous, Mission and Zaalbar will disable the tractor beam. The rest of us will guard the ship and prepare to make a swift exit."

Though most agreed with the plan, Handmaiden had her own thoughts to speak. "This plan is risky. We lack the knowledge of the ship's layout and amount of guards."

"Tough luck, sister, 'cause there's no going back now," Atton responded uncaring as he grabbed his weapons. "Now if you don't mind, I'm going to make sure our fearless leader makes it out in one piece. Visas, let's go."

"As you wish." Visas agreed.

The two force wielders left the ship, activating their stealth field generators to remain out of the side. Unfortunately for the rest of them, that was the only cloaking devices they had to spare. With no time to waste, Canderous grabbed his blaster as they prepared to leave.

"Keep up, kid," Canderous ordered, marching away before he even waited for an answer.

Before Mission followed, Bao-Dur picked up something from his workstation and tossed it to her. "Take this. It's a decryption software I've been working on, should bypass their systems with ease."

Mission was more than capable of splicing through their systems, but she appreciated the assistance all the same. "Thanks Bao-Dur. Come on, Big Z."

Team two proceeded to leave the ship, leaving the rest of the team to guard the ship alone. "Be on your guard," Juhani cautioned.

* * *

"How many times do I have to tell you?" Meetra grew tired of repeating the same answer. "There is nothing of value on my ship, we were just escorting some food supplies, that's all."

Her interrogator did not take her word. She was forced to endure his questions as she remained seated in a chair in the middle of a cell, both hands still cuffed behind her. Even bound, she was more than capable of defeating him.

"You just don't know when to stop, do you?" the pirate responded with a growl, taking a knife from his holster. "If it wasn't for Zhun, I wouldn't hesitate to cut your tongue from your throat!"

The deactivation of the cell door behind him broke his thoughts. He turned, expecting to see one of his colleagues. Instead, he was met with emptiness, leaving him puzzled. That confusion was suddenly replaced with shock as an energy engulfed him, rendering him unconscious.

"You took your time," Meetra said as her allies deactivated their disguise.

"We stopped for coffee," Atton remarked, freeing the restraints from her wrists as he helped her stand. "You okay?"

"Nothing I couldn't handle, thanks," Meetra assured, narrowing her attention towards their captain and the astromech droid. "You rescued Carth and T3. The rest of the team?"

"The others have set on their own mission," Visas informed. "Mandalore has taken his team to free our ship from imprisonment."

"And the others are guarding the ship," Atton added. "Piece of cake."

"No reason to hang around here," Meetra agreed, kneeling down to T3's height in order to retrieve her lightsaber and comlink the astromech droid held onto for her. "Thanks buddy. Now let's get going."

The team proceeded to make their way back to the ship. As they turned a corner, they did not expect to run directly into Zhun, accompanied with two of her guards. Everyone's faces met with surprise as they bumped into the other. It was obvious what was going to occur next.

Carth sighed. "Oh blast it."

* * *

While team one attended to the rescue, team two made haste to get to the control room and disable the tractor beam. Getting through undetected was difficult, but under the guidance of Canderous, they made their way through with little easy.

"Any day now," Canderous requested impatient.

Mission was busy trying to splice through a security door that would lead them directly into the control room. "You nagging me isn't going to speed this up. Just give a minute...A-A-And...Got it!"

The door opened swiftly, bringing a single pirate into view. He remained stumped as the team of three stood only a foot away from him.

Canderous grinned as he raised his fist. "Hi," and proceeded to knock out their enemy with one punch.

Now inside, Mission made haste to get onto the computer and put her magic to good use. With the help of Bao-Dur's software, getting into the systems was fairly easy than she thought. "I'll need a minute to get through their systems."

Canderous equipped his repeater blaster, standing guard by the door. "We'll watch your back, just make it quick."

Ignoring his demanding attitude, Mission worked as fast as she could. Fortunately, their security systems were not the best, allowing her to breach the computer with ease. "It's done. Tractor beam is disabled and with the virus I installed, they won't be getting it back up for some time."

"Good work, kid," Canderous actually praised, surprising Mission. "Now let's get out-"

His words were drained out by the blazing sounds of alarms echoing through the entire ship. If the pirates didn't know they were here before, they definitely had now.

Whatever respect Canderous had for Mission had now drained away. "What did you do?!"

"It wasn't me!" Mission protested defensively.

Zaalbar roared in panic. From the other side of the room, pirates emerged, forcing him to open fire with his crossbow. Canderous joined suite as they retreated elsewhere.

"We gotta get back to the ship," Canderous ordered, taking position to cover them from behind. "GO!"

* * *

Meanwhile, team one made haste to retreat back to their ship, blaster fire narrowly missing them from behind. They were fast on their heels as Zhun and her men chased them from behind.

Carth returned fire as he struggled to keep up, his old age limiting his movements. "It was going so well!"

"The odds of running into her on a ship this big is just pure pazaak!" Atton responded. As they passed a group of crates, he raised his hand and used the force to push them down, slowing down the pirates.

The Ebon Hawk came into sight, only to have their hope rip from them as the blast door closed in front of them. Without hesitation, Meetra thrust her lightsaber to the door, cutting through it. Visas assisted her shortly after as Atton and Carth protected them.

Meetra's comlink beeped as she kept her focused on cutting down the door. "I'm a little busy!"

"We're back at the Hawk, but we're getting flanked at every corner!" Canderous shouted, blaster fire echoing in the background. "Where are you?"

"We're just outside the hanger!" Meetra called out. "Get ready to take us off!"

Their combined effort finally cut down the door as they entered the hanger, only to come face to face with dozens of pirates. Meetra did not hesitate to cut some of them down as they fought their way to the ship.

She joined Juhani near the ramp, deflecting blaster fire as they spoke. "Is everyone here?"

"Mission and Zaalbar are pinned down over there!" Juhani responded. "They cannot leave without risk of injury!"

"I'll go and help them!" Meetra assured. "T3, get the engines started. Atton, Mical, with me!"

"On it!"

"We're with you!"

While the others guarded the ship, the three force wielders covered each other as they made their way over towards Mission and Zaalbar, both friends remained ducked under boxes of crates. Blaster fire continued spreading across the hanger, rapidly covering the sky.

"Get to the ship!" Meetra ordered. "We'll keep you-ARGH!"

A stray blaster shot struck her in the thigh, forcing Meetra to drop her guard as he stumbled. Fortunately, her armor had blocked the actually damage. She limped with one hand pressed against her injury while the other wielded her lightsaber.

Atton took her free arm, helping her walk back to the ship. "I got ya! Come on, move it or lose it!"

Now that the attention was focused elsewhere, Mission followed suite while Zaalbar remained in cover for now, intending to keep her covered until she was safe. Their enemies were backed with reinforcements as Zhun emerged from one of the doors with more men.

"Kill them!" Zhun screamed. "KILL THEM!"

Her orders boosted the pirates motivation as they rained down more blaster fire. The rest of the crew slowly entered the ship, Canderous even entering the turret for better fire. Juhani, HK-47 and Mical remained as the main cover while Atton supported Meetra.

Filled with rage and embarrassment, Zhun retrieved a plasma grenade from her belt. "Die SCUM!"

With a strong toss, the plasma grenade came directly towards them, aimed directly towards Meetra. Through the rapid fire of red lasers shooting through the air, the team were fortunate enough that Attons potted the danger.

His eyes widened as he forced both himself and Meetra to the ground. "Everyone, down!"

The others complied and ducked. The grenade overshot them as he landed when Mission was previously hiding for cover. Fortunately, she had moved since then, but the same could not be said for her best friend.

Everyone watched in horror as the plasma grenade landed directly beneath Zaalbar's feet. With no time to move, Mission was forced to watch as her best friend became engulfed in the explosion, releasing a cry of agony before his limp body dropped to the ground.

"NOOOOO!" Mission screamed. "ZAALBAR!"

Ignoring the previous danger, she attempted to help him, only to be restrained by Juhani.

"Mission, no!" Juhani pleaded.

"Let me go!" Mission demanded, struggling to free herself from the cathar's grip. "Let me go! Let me help him!"

"There's nothing you can do!" Juhani told, pulling the squirming Mission towards the Ebon Hawk. As she placed one foot against the ramp, a sharp, piercing pain forced her to release a cry of pain, dropping to her knees as she clutched her injured arm.

In the process, she was forced to release Mission. Mical took her place and dragged Mission onto the ship, leaving the three of them alone to fight the rest of the pirates.

"Get Juhani!" Meetra requested as she took her arm from around Atton. "I'll be fine!"

Though hesitant, Atton acknowledged she could take care of herself even with her injury. He helped Juhani stand as they entered the Ebon Hawk. Before long, Meetra soon joined the crew, taking one sympathetic look towards Zaalbar before leaving.

She slammed her hand against the button, shutting the door. "Carth, get us out of here!"

The Ebon Hawk slowly ascended, deflecting the blaster fire with ease. With a small turn, the ship boosted out of the hanger and made their escape. Unfortunately, they were not out of danger yet as heavy fire from the cruiser's cannons opened fire on them.

"Everyone hang onto something!" Carth ordered through the intercom. "Atton, I need you up here!"

The scoundrel had just finished getting Juhani to the medical bay, gently setting her down on the bed. He proceeded to run towards the cockpit, taking a seat as the co-pilot. "I'm entering the hyperspace coordinates, get ready!"

Heavy fire continued to bombard them. Despite their combined skills, they were unable to dodge every shot. Their shields couldn't hold out for ever. As they continued, one accurate shot had finally broke through their shields, leaving a dent in the back of the ship. Fortunately, they were still intact.

Finally, Atton finished entering the coordinates. "Punch it!"

Without hesitation, Carth pulled down the level and the Ebon Hawk shot into hyperspace, freeing them from the pirates. The crew had successfully escaped from their captors, but not without the loss of one of their own. No doubt this was going to hit the crew hard for a long time, none more than Mission.

* * *

 **Rest in peace, Zaalbar. Now I know alot of you are probably going to hate me for this, but this it the reality of Star Wars. The good guys don't always win, there will always be deaths on both sides. The group have successfully escaped the pirates and now continue their journey. Stay tuned for chapter 13 this Friday.**


	13. Chapter 13: Crash landing

**Knights of the Old Republic 3: The Final Chapters**

 **Chapter 13: Crash landing**

 **Hey guys, what's going? Your good-old friend Assassin is back with another chapter. Anyone excited for The Last Jedi? I know I am! Anyway, before I go crazy with this author's note, enjoy chapter 13.**

* * *

"We're in the clear," Carth noted as he observed the Ebon Hawk's status. That last attack had broken through the shields.

"How bad is it?" Meetra inquired, leaning over Atton's shoulder for a better look.

Carth opened up the status of the Ebon Hawk's abilities. "Shields at ten-percent strength, damage to the thrusters, but nothing permanent. Hyperdrive stable, and fuel...Oh."

Meetra slowly raised an eyebrow to that last comment. "I don't like the sound of that. What is it?"

"We got a problem," Carth noted, his tone fully of concern for their safety. "The cruiser damaged our fuel tank on the engines, we're leaking at a fast rate. We'll never reach our target. If we lose fuel, we lose power, and if we lose power...We'll be floating in space, oxygen will be cut and we'll either freeze or starve of oxygen."

That certainly was not good. Being attacked by sith, chased by kinrath, hunted by bounty hunters, escaping exploding planets and now their end was going to come from natural causes. Refusing to come so far just to die now, Meetra had to think fast. "Is there any remote system we can get to?"

Atton was one step ahead, immediately leaping out from his chair and over to the galaxy map. "Already on it. On our course, we'll never make it to Manaan, nevermind Dromund Kaas. How much fuel we got left?"

"Seventy-two percent and dropping at a slow rate," Carth answered. "If my calculations are right, then we'll be out of fuel in two days. Are there any planets nearby we can get to?"

Atton frantically searched the galaxy, knowing there was no other moment to waste. "We're almost out of luck. Only planet we can make it to is...Tatooine."

Tatooine, now that was a planet none of them wanted to visit. No Republic occupied the area, not to mention the whole planet was ruled by crime lords, Hutts specifically. No alternative options remained, they had to go.

"Carth," Meetra spoke after a moment of silence. "Can we make it?"

Carth nodded in confirmation. "Yes. I'll set course right away, sooner we get there, the better. We'll be in hyperspace soon."

Meetra nodded, entrusting the two pilots to get them there safety. With their alternative destination set, she no longer needed to stay and made haste to leave. As she left, Meetra stopped on the way out when Carth called out her name.

"Meetra…" Carth trailed off, his tone clearly indicating he was afraid to speak. Slowly, he continued. "Do you think you could check on Mission? I'm worried for her."

No one wanted to even imagine how she was feeling. Losing her best friend like that, to a bunch of space pirates. Mission must be devastated right now. No one had seen her since they boarded the ship.

"I will," Meetra promised. Without another word, she exited the cockpit. Before checking on Mission as she promised, Meetra had to make a quick stop to the medical bay. Arriving, she greeted the injured cathar with a small smile.

"Juhani," Meetra greeted, taking a seat beside the resting former Jedi. "How are you feeling?"

"I am recovering, there is not much difference than before," Juhani simply replied, but appreciated the inquiry all the same and raised a smile in return. "I thank you for your concern. The disciple has attended to my arm and informs me I will recover."

"That's good," Meetra replied.

"And how are you?" Juhani returned the inquiry, noting the scorch blaster mark against Meetra's thigh.

"My armor stopped the blaster from making impact," Meetra answered, examining said mark. "Just a flesh wound, I'll be fine."

As their eyes locked, both smiles dropped as they realised the same thought: Mission. Both of them were there, fighting next to Zaalbar. Had they seen that grenade, had they sensed it with the force...Maybe things would have been different.

With a small sigh, Meetra spoke up. "Juhani-"

"No," Juhani interrupted. "I sense your feeling of regret for Zaalbar. I too feel shame for not being able to help him."

"Mission probably hates me," Meetra assumed. WIth another ally gone, she begun to ponder back to the Jedi council's judgement, accusing her of being a threat and using the will of the force to gather followers. "Zaalbar wouldn't have even been there if it were not for me."

"You should try not to blame yourself," Juhani assured, but a part of her remained full of guilt. "Zaalbar and Mission wanted to come, they would have accompanied you no matter what. Go, speak with Mission. She needs a friend, someone she can trust. I am in no condition to move."

Acknowledging her suggestion, Meetra nodded and bid her goodbye. Keeping to her promise, Meetra made her way to the women's dormitory. Simultaneously, Atton made an announcement over the intercom.

"We're jumping in hyperspace in Three...Two...One!"

The Ebon Hawk jumped into hyperspace, a small shake caused Meetra to stumble but not fall. Once the ship was stable, she continued towards her destination. Arriving, the only member of the crew within was Visas, meditating at the end of the room as usual. No sign of Mission.

"Visas," Meetra greeted, breaking the miraluka out from her thoughts. "Have you seen Mission anywhere?"

"The twi'lek you speak of has taken occupation within the garage," Visas answered without turning towards her.

Meetra turned and entered the garage next door to the dormitory. Inside, she located Mission sitting against the wall, her knees huddled up to her face. Tear damps remained under her eyes, no doubt she had been crying since they arrived. Bao-Dur was not present, his priorities were to monitor the hyperdrive with T3. HK-47 was powered down, a charger plugged within his head.

Unsure of where to begin, Meetra took one step inside, her foot against the hard metal gave away her presence. "Hey Mission. Okay if I come in?"

No response from Mission, not even a nod. Since she didn't decline, Meetra took that as a cue to enter. Slowly, she took a seat beside the twi'lek, choosing her next words very carefully. While she was never one to eavesdrop, Meetra could sense her grief through the force.

"How are you feeling?" Meetra inquired.

With a small sniff, Mission dried the remains of her tears before answering, her voice shaking. "I...I...I miss him so much...He gave his life to save me so many times...Now he's gone!"

Unable to hold back her feelings, Mission broke in more tears. Feeling sympathy for her, Meetra slowly raised her left hand and placed it upon her shoulder. Mission did not brush off the gesture, either she did not mind or was in too much sadness to care.

"I'm sorry, Mission, truly I am," Meetra apologized as Mission ceased her crying for a second time. "I know I can't possible related to how you are feeling and I'm probably the last person you should speak to for comfort. But I want you to remember one thing, one thing only: Zaalbar is not truly gone."

Mission raised an eyebrow, her sadness turning into confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Zaalbar may be dead in our world, but he lives on through the force," Meetra explained, keeping her words simple to avoid the confusion words of her teachings. "All life is connected to the force. 'There is no death, there is the force'. The force will always be with you, and therefore, Zaalbar will always be with you as well. As long as you keep his memory alive, he'll never truly be gone."

If there was one thing Mission did not understand was the ways of the force, something even the strongest of Jedi could never truly understand. Drying her tears yet again, Mission replied in a now calmer voice. "You sound just like him, like Revan. I remember when we stayed at Dantooine for six months, we would meet up once a week and he would tell me everything he learned."

"That's Revan," Meetra agreed with a small chuckle. "You should have seen him when we were kids."

Mission chuckled as well. Raising a small smile, she turned towards the former exile. "Thank you, Meetra. Revan knew had to make good friends."

Without another word, Meetra extended both arms and pulled Mission into a small hug, a gesture Mission returned shortly afterwards. Coping with the loss of her best friend would take time, how long, she did not know. No matter the cost, she would fight through and continue her journey to finding Revan.

It was what Zaalbar would have wanted

* * *

The Ebon Hawk was practically running on fumes by the time they reached Tatooine. It was a miracle they made it here in the first place, one tiny malfunction could have ended everything, even with Bao-Dur's assistance on keeping the engines stalled.

Standing behind Carth and Atton, Meetra watched as their ship exited hyperspace and the bright, wasteland of Tatooine came into view.

"Here we are," Carth announced. "Last time I was here, Revan, Bastila and I had to kill a Kyrat dragon."

"We made it just in time," Atton spoke up, ignoring Carth's previous comment. "Any later and we'd all be freezing worse than Hoth."

The ship's systems were not blinking, monitors blinking red with alarms of warning. Knowing they had no time to find permission to land in a city, the pilots made fast to land on the outskirts nearest to a city.

"Meetra, we're gonna be coming in fast," Atton warned, bracing himself. "You might want to sit down."

Being around Atton long enough, Meetra learned he was never wrong when he had a bad feeling. With a nod, she sat down in the seat behind him, buckling her seatbelt.

Carth made haste to warn the others, grabbing the intercom. "Everyone, strap in and hang on! We're coming in hot!"

Using what little fuel they had left, Carth and Atton brought the Ebon Hawk down towards the pilot. The ship around them begun to burst in flames as they hit the atmosphere. Gravity took a hold of their ship, pulling them down with incredible speed towards the surface. In seconds, they were closer to the ground faster than they dared to anticipate.

"We're coming in too hot," Atton warned, his hands gripped tightly on the stick. The desert came into view and he sweated more. "Hang on!"

Pulling up as the Ebon Hawk reached the ground, the ship levitated to normal position and the landing gear was released. Now close to the ground with a decent speed, Carth and Atton thrust the ship down. The Hawk collided with the sand, the landing gear scraping along the sand.

Even at the ground, the ship continued to move. It shook violently as the pilots desperately tried to bring it to a halt before they crashed into something. Seconds felt like hours as everyone remained terrified for their safety, but to their relief, the Ebon Hawk finally came to the stop in a middle of the desert.

With a breath of relief, Carth fell back in his chair, a hand slicking back his hair. "We did it."

"I changed my mind, you can fly solo from now on," Atton spoke as he unbuckled his seatbelt and turned towards the former exile. "You okay, Meetra?"

"In one piece," Meetra assured as she brushed her hair out from her eyes. "Another happy landing. Come on, we better go and check on the others."

Once everyone was recovered, a meeting was held in the center of the ship. Fortunately, everyone had braced themselves for the impact and avoided any injuries. Now that they were safe, it was time to figure a way off this planet.

"Bao-Dur, what's the situation?" Meetra inquired, a hand rested on her hip.

"The hyperdrive is overloaded, one of the cylindrical engines need cooling down, but the other is broke beyond repair," Bao-Dur debriefed. "I can fix the hyperdrive, but the second engine is out of my hands. We'll need a new one."

Meetra sighed, shaking her head in disappointment. Another obstacle blocking their way to Revan. "I don't think we have enough credits to purchase one."

"They usually range from thirty-forty thousand credits," Mical added as he looked through his holopad. "I am no accountant, but I am confident we do not have enough credits to purchase such a device."

There was a dilemma they had themselves in. Even if they sold the speeder, their spare weapons and the clothes of their backs, they wouldn't even make it close to the required target. They would need to earn money and fast.

"You know, there are a lot of farmers that live on Tatooine," Canderous begun, raising his blaster as the others glared towards him. "If we get desperate, we could always rob-"

"No," Meetra spoke. "We're not resorting to that. Let's just focus on finding help first. Carth?"

"According to the maps, the closest city is Mos Espa," Carth answered, opening a holographic image of said city. "It'll take us about fifteen minutes to walk there, five if we take the speeder."

That was their plan of action. Meetra stepped up. "Then that's where we're going. Some of us need to stay here and guard the ship. Last thing we need is Jawas raiding the place. Bao-Dur, T3, I need you both to repair what you can. Juhani, you're still injured and I don't want you walking around in this heat. Carth, I need you to stay in the cockpit and keep an eye out for danger. Mical, see if you can get the communications ready, we may need to find a way to contact help if things don't go smoove. Any objections?"

There were none, though a couple of faces showed hesitation at first.

"You know your jobs," Meetra added as she turned towards the exit of the ship. "Let's go."

Meeting adjured as half the crew got to work on their assignments. Accompanied with Atton, Visas and HK-47, Meetra exited the ship. Immediately, the basking heat spread across her body, the sun blinding her eyes as her foot pressed against the sand.

"I've never been here before," Meetra stated to no one in particular. "Now I can see why."

"Kind of regret not buying more water," Atton agreed as he placed on a visor to tolerate the twin suns.

Visas, being without her sight, could walk with ease. HK-47 was unaffected by either as he was without feelings. Meetra checked her holopad for the right direction, one wrong move and they would be practically walking to their deaths.

"This way," Meetra instructed. "Sooner we get there, sooner we can hit the bar."

Atton raised a smirk. "Now that I agree to."

* * *

The journey felt a lot longer than they planned. The heat itself slowed their speed, not to mention the risk of falling into sinkholes. Eventually, their hopes risen as the city of Mos Espa came into view, revealing everyone from the walk.

"This...Is...It," Meetra announced between breaths. "Mos Espa."

"We're renting a dewback on the way back," Atton requested as he wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Note to self: stay with the ship when on a hot planet."

"Come," Visas requested, moving forward to take the lead. "The longer we remain, the risk we run of heat damage."

With what little energy they had left, everyone picked up the pace and entered the city. Mos Espa was a fairly big city, the buildings were nowhere as big as Coruscant but were worth noting. The population was high, citizens roamed the area with either their animal rides or carrying loot.

Before they could go shopping, one thing was on their mind: water. Fortune was in their favour as a cantina came into view immediately. Seeking water and shelter, the four moved to enter, but were stopped by the guard.

"No droids allowed," a human male ordered.

"Exclamation: how dare you!" HK-47 exclaimed, shocked that they would turn such a unique droid away.

"It's okay," Meetra assured as she turned towards the assassin droid. "HK, stay here and don't cause any trouble. We won't be long."

HK watched as the three disappeared, leaving him alone. Annoyed, he turned around and waited for them to return. "Statement: the meatbags of this planet have no idea of my uniqueness. Even that pathetic excuse of an ithorian was oblivious to my greatness."

As he complained to himself, a nearby Jawa approached him, examining him curiosity as he spoke in his native language. " _/You droid! You make good money! Jawa take you to be sold, yes!/_ "

"Warning: touch me and I will take pleasure in crushing your throat," HK warned, his voice turning sister as his eyes lit red.

The Jawa appeared to be unfazed by his threats. Either he was incredibly brave or stupid. " _/Droid no talk back! Droid dangerous! Jawa shut down!/_ "

Pulling a stun blaster from his robe, the Jawa prepared to stun him. On instinct, HK raised his blaster and fired, blasting the Jawa a few feet backwards. His attack had not gone unnoticed as nearby spectators looked on. Death was expected in Tatooine to point where people lost interest in his actions and walked away.

In satisfaction, HK connected his blaster to his back as he looked down towards the corpse. "Statement: meatbag."

* * *

 **That concludes this chapter, ladies and gentlemen. Now I don't know why, but I've always found Tatooine to be a fascinating planet. Anyway, stay tuned for chapter 14.**


	14. Chapter 14: Tournament

**Knights of the Old Republic 3: The Final Chapters**

 **Chapter 14: Tournament**

 **Hey guys, Assassin here. Bad news, I'm cancelling this story...Bah! Just screwing with yous, I'd never do that. Haha, I have a bad sense of humour, I know. Anyway, onward to chapter 14.**

* * *

While Meetra and team made work of finding them some money, the others remained on the ship. Bao-Dur and T3, being the only ones with experience on technology, made work on fixing the damage. Carth remained on look out, but he soon found himself bored looking out the window towards the endless desert.

One specific crew member did not enjoy waiting around. Canderous grabbed his gear and prepared to set out, catching the attention of Mission.

"Going somewhere, Canderous?" Mission inquired while she was busy organising their inventory.

"We may have a mission to find Revan, but I have my own priorities to attend to," Canderous reminded, placing his helmet on securely to cope with Tatooine's blinding sun. "I'm going to Mos Espa and look for some lost clans."

With his blaster in check, Canderous exited the ship and walked bravely towards the location he intended. Walking within the desert alone was dangerous, even for the toughest of warriors. Being a mandalorian, Canderous knew no such fear.

Meanwhile, Bao-Dur directed his work outside to fix the broken hull. Using the inside ladders, he exited and made haste to get the job done. The sooner he remained in this heat, the better. T3 continued work on cooling down the hyperdrive, making certain it too did not break. Not like they needed more debt to add onto their collection of parts.

As Bao-Dur worked, he took a moment to rest and leaned up. With his focus now on the desert, he watched as a small figure approached. While cautious at first, his worries were eased when the figure was merely a Jawa. While annoying, they were far from harmful.

His comlink beeped a few seconds later, and Bao-Dur answered.

"Everything okay up there?" Carth inquired. "Picked something up on the scanners."

"It's just a jawa," Bao-Dur assured. "I'll take care of him."

Sliding down to the end of the ship, Bao-Dur greeted the Jawa from above.

" _/Greetings!/_ " the Jawa greeted rather enthusiastically. " _/Ship good! Ship make good parts! Jawa take parts!/_ "

While not one for learning languages, Bao-Dur understood what the Jawa wanted. All they cared about was scraping for equipment. "Sorry, not for sale."

" _/Jawa may help!/_ " he offered. " _/Jawa have spare parts to fix, Jawa-/_ "

Bao-Dur watched in horror as a single blaster bolt startled him. Worst, the Jawa suddenly had a hole through his head, followed by collapsing down into the sand head first. In panic, Bao-Dur jumped down to his stomach for cover, rolling towards the hatch.

Quickly, he raised his comlink while crawling. "We got a problem!"

" _I pick it up!_ " Carth replied immediately. " _I count six targets on the scanner! You see anything?_ "

Grabbing a pair of macrobinoculars from his pouch, Bao-Dur analyzed the threat in the distance. Four of the six figures stood above a sand hill, their weapons raised above their head as they chanted.

"Sand people," Bao-Dur noted, familiar with the ancient tribes that roamed Tatooine. Without another thought, he jumped inside the ship from above, running to the rest of the crew. "Tusken raiders outside!"

"There's more of them coming on the radar!" Carth added from the cockpit. He pressed a single button, causing the ship's power to roar to light. "I'm turning on the shields, we can't risk anymore damage to the hawk. Take care of them!"

Mission climbed the turret, preparing to fire as they came close while she had a clear shot. She pressed the trigger, but no blasters were fired. "Uh, Carth, little help here!?"

" _Sorry Mission,_ " Carth apologized over her comlink. " _I need all power focused on the shields, that includes the turrets. You're going to have to take them out the old-fashioned way._ "

With a sigh of frustration, Mission leaped down and joined the others as they grabbed their respective weapons. While most of the team were present, the sand people were dangerous, working in numbers to ruthlessly murder others.

"I wish HK was here," Carth admitted as he grabbed his dual signature blasters. "Maybe he could have talked to them."

"I doubt they're in a mood to listen," Mission disagreed. Slinging a blaster rifle over her shoulder, she climbed the top of the Ebon Hawk with Mical. The hawk was big enough that the sand people would be unable to climb up.

Bao-Dur monitored the radar, keeping an eye out for anymore intruders while monitoring the shields. The ramp to the ship slowly descended towards the ground. In seconds, Carth leaped forward, only to leap for cover as multiple blaster shots came his way.

Wielding her lightsaber one handed, Juhani exited the ship and begun to deflect their fire, using herself as a shield while the others provided fire.

"More of them are on the way," Bao-Dur warned. "They're strongest in the north. Keep focus on that area."

Hearing his advice over the open comlinks, Mission lied flat on her stomach while shooting the tusken raiders from above. They were easy to take down, but the blinding heat made it difficult to get a clear shot at times.

"More coming from the west!" Mical noted while he tossed a plasma grenade into a group of them, blowing them to pieces upon impact.

With Juhani the only fully trained Jedi with them, the tusken raiders would eventually get the impression that she was the most dangerous. Knowing this, Mical grabbed his double-bladed lightsaber and with small hesitation, he jumped from the ship and charged directly towards them.

Seeing the new lightsaber, the tusken raiders panicked and grabbed their gaffi sticks and prepared to fight. Clashing weapons, Mical remembered Meetra's teachings and fought two of them simultaneously. While savage beasts, they were well trained in fighting with melee weapons.

With a strong blow, Mical sliced through their weapons before finishing them quickly. The west side was clear, but more continued pouring from the hills. They were very determined just to finish them off.

As Carth provided fire from behind Juhani, he was too focused to avoid further danger. Spinning, he came face to face with a tusken raider who whacked his stick directly into Carth's face, stunning him. Surprised and injured, Carth fell, one blaster dropped out of his reach while another got lost in the sand.

"Blast it!" Carth cursed. With a gasp, he dodged as the tusken raider attempted to impale him in the chest.

Panicking, Carth searched the sand for his blaster. Being under the ship, the shade made it difficult to see. Stumbling backwards, Carth avoided another strike and finally got to his feet. Before the tusken raider could strike, Carth grabbed his stick. Both now had their hands wrapped around the weapon, attempting to snatch it from the other.

"ARG! RRGH!" the tusken raider screamed, his voice full of hatred.

In retaliation, Carth headbutted him to distract him. While he almost hurt himself more, it was enough force to stun the raider. Taking his chance, Carth slammed him to the ground, positioning himself on top as he begun to attack him with his hands, punching left and right. He took no pleasure in doing so, but one mistake would be his last.

In seconds, the tusken raider became weak from the beatings, losing the will to fight. Exhausted, Carth stood and recovered one of his blasters, standing over the beaten sand person as he aimed his blaster directly towards his head. One shot was all it would take.

Carth, however, could not bring himself to pull the trigger. Fighting the sand people in combat was one thing, but to shoot one that could not fight back, would that be murder? Even if they were savage warriors, killing a defenseless one would be cold-blooded murder.

"Carth!"

Broken from his thoughts, Carth ignored the unconscious sand person, joining Juhani at the front of the Ebon Hawk with Mical and Mission. In the distance, the tusken raiders retreated, running away with chants of defeat.

"That is the last of them," Juhani noted, wiping the sweat from her forehead. "That was difficult."

"Tusken raiders are dangerous, one of the reasons Tatooine isn't a safe place," Mission said as she recalled their previous encounters. "I was with Revan when we were looking for my brother. We actually made peace with them."

"Peace? With the sand people?" Mical questioned, and Mission nodded in confirmation. "Fascinating. Would you mind telling me this story? It would go great for my research."

"Don't see why not," Mission agreed with a small shrug.

Carth analyzed the deceased bodies of the sand people, scattered around the Ebon Hawk. "It's a miracle no one was hurt. We should get started on clearing-"

A single blaster bolt echoed through the air, startling everyone in their places. Seconds later, silence filled the atmosphere. Turning towards underneath the Ebon Hawk, Carth, still in shock, watched as the same tusken raider he had previously subdued was up, his blaster rifle aimed towards them.

Everyone froze, terrified to move. As they pondered their thoughts, a small amount of smoke dispersed from the raider's chest. In seconds, he collapsed, dropping his blaster with a small roar. The team turned towards their saviour, who marched over towards the sand person and kicked their corpse to make certain they were dead.

"You need to stop turning your back to the enemy, Onasi," Canderous warned.

"Canderous," Carth never thought he would have breathed in relief to see the mandalorian. "Thanks. Got scared for a second there."

"You're lucky I forgot my ammo packs," Canderous added as he observed the remains of battle. "A shame. Then again, there isn't much glory in fighting beasts."

"Is battle always on your mind?" Mission questioned, placing both hands against her hips with a saucy look.

Canderous did not answer her question. Instead, he gathered one of the tusken raiders and took out his knife, preparing to cut into their corpses.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Mission questioned, shocked by the mandalorians' actions.

"Sand people don't give up, they'll keep coming until we're either dead or gone," Canderous explained. Without hesitation, he used his knife and begun to cut through it's arms. "Just gonna send them a little warning. Now either make yourselves useful and get me some wood, or stay out of my way."

None of them objected, but that did not mean they approved. Disgusted to witness such gruesome act, the others turned and boarded the ship. No one was horrified more than Juhani, her past conflicts with them sent memories racing around her mind.

Carth, noting this, spoke up to reassure her. "Let's just concentrate on fixing the ship."

* * *

Refreshed and back to full strength, Meetra and team got back to work on finding a new engine. Finding out HK had shot a jawa left Meetra disappointed, but once he informed her that he was going to steal him she somewhat understood. A part of her had doubts to his word, but HK wasn't programmed to lie. At least she didn't think so.

The team of four arrived at a trade shop. A notication bell emitted as they entered, alerting the owner to their presence. A Toydarian levitated towards them.

"Greetings!" he exclaimed. "What are you looking for today?"

Meetra cut straight to the point. "I'm looking for a cylindrical engine for a dynamic-class freighter."

"Ah yes, cylindrical," the storekeeper replied. "We have one in the backroom now, all yours for thirty-two thousand!"

That was certainly less than they expected, but still a lot of money to pay for. Lacking the funds to purchase it, Meetra pondered her alternative thoughts. "I take it you're not up for a trade?"

"That depends," the storekeeper responded, crossing his arms. "What you offering?"

Meetra took out a holoprojector, opening up an image of their speeder. "A Joben T-72 speeder bike, not previously owned, no damage, currently fully fueled.

The storekeeper hummed, rubbing one hand under his chin as he decided. After a moment, he made up his mind. "It's not worth the value of the engine, but I can give you ten-thousand for it if you like!"

Meetra placed the projector back into her pocket. Even if she took the other and combined their current credits, they would not reach anywhere near the target. "No thanks."

The storekeeper shrugged, uninterested. "Suit yourself, lady, but you won't find a better price than here!"

The engine was located, but now they needed the funds to purchase it. Defeated for now, Meetra turned to leave and almost stepped out of the store, but that's when something in the corner of her eye caught her interest.

Curiously, she turned towards a poster on the wall and examined it, reading it's contents closely. "" _Think you're the best fighter? Prove it in this year's Mos Espa's Fighting Tournament and become the champion. Grand prize of...Fifty-thousand credits?_ "

Atton let out a slow whistle as he examined the contents as well. "You thinking what I'm thinking?"

"You read my mind, Atton," Meetra agreed, shifting her attention towards the storekeeper. "Where's this tournament being held?"

"The fighting tournament? It's at Mos Espa's Battle Arena," the stormkeeper answered as if it were obvious. "You're not from here, are you?"

Ignoring his comment, Meetra checked her holocron and located said arena. It was only five minutes down the street, and according to the details on the poster, it started tomorrow. Hopefully some spaces were free.

Picking up the pace, Meetra lead her team towards the tournament. Along the way, she contacted the rest of the crew back at the Hawk.

" _Carth here,_ " the admiral answered. " _We're all on an open channel. What's the news?_ "

"We found an engine and we may have just found a way to get the credits," Meetra debrief as the continued walking, avoiding the crowded street. "A fighting tournaments being held tomorrow. If there's space, we can enter to increase our chances of winning. Fifty-thousand is the grand prize. We can win it and have some money left over. Anyone in?"

There was chattered amongst the rest of the crew, everyone deciding on who should enter.

Canderous was the one to ask the most obvious question: " _How many slots remain? We could be out of time to sign in if the tournament's tomorrow._ "

Meetra did not reply at first. Before, she looked up and noticed the huge tournament building coming into view. "I'll have your answer in two minutes, Canderous."

As she turned off her comlink, Visas had her own say of the matter. "Using your skill to win money? I cannot imagine Jedi would approve of such action."

"You wouldn't be wrong there," Meetra agreed. "Good thing I'm not a Jedi."

Finally, they made it to the tournament. The inside reception was quite lively, everyone here no doubt ready enter. With a grand price of fifty thousand, who wouldn't? Pushing past some of occupants, Meetra arrived at the sign in disk.

A duros greeted her, speaking in his native langauge. " _/You coming to enter the tournament?/_ "

"That's right," Meetra confirmed. "How many spaces are free?"

The duros checked their system, giving her an answer after a few seconds. " _/Four spaces remain. You're lucky./_ "

Four spaces. That certainly was not good. If they wanted to increase their chances of winning, the strongest of them had to be chosen.

"Excuse me," Meetra requested, opening her comlink yet again to contact the crew. "Everyone, only four spaces are free, and we need to decided now. Anyone who doesn't want to enter, speak up."

There was a moment of discussion as everyone narrowed down who would enter and who would not. HK and T3, being droids, were not allowed. Most of the crew volunteered on staying absence. Mission was inexperienced with fighting without her sword, Carth wanted to remain with the ship, Canderous, while interested, declined to search instead. Bao-Dur would not be allowed to enter due to his robotic arm giving him an unfair advantage and Mical wanted to continue his studies.

That only left Meetra, Atton, the Handmaiden and Visas. Perfect. The duros slid them a form to sign. All they needed to enter was their first name, species and age.

" _I will be unable to make it down in time,_ " the Handmaiden informed over the comlink. " _Sign my name for me._ "

Meetra raised an eyebrow. "And that would be?"

" _It matters not,_ " Handmaiden assured, her voice without that of emotion. " _The locals did not care so long as they get their fighters._ "

That was probably a good enough answer as they would get.

"Well, I'm in," Meetra said, grabbing a pen to enter both her and the Handmaiden's name to the list. Satisfied, she finished and turned towards the others. "Atton?"

The scoundrel shrugged. "If it means I can keep some of the credits and getting off this planet, then I'm in."

As he signed, Meetra turned towards the blinded one beside her. "Visas?"

"I am yours to command," Visas reminded. "If it is as you desire, I will follow."

Unsure how to answer, Meetra simply asked: "Is that a yes?"

"It is as you desire," Visas responded a second time.

Taking that as a confirmation, Meetra signed her name for her. That was all four fighters. Now all they needed to do was simply wait until tomorrow.

The duros accepted their signatures, examining them for a moment before nodding in satisfaction. " _/Welcome to the tournament. You'll be provided with free rooms during your stay, an all exclusive dining room feast and a training room. Here are your keys,_ /"

Two keys were dropped into Meetra's hands, no doubt for their rooms.

" _/The preliminary rounds begin tomorrow at exactly 9:00 AM,/_ " the duros informed. " _/That's where they'll decide if you're good enough to enter. If you win, the tournament itself will begin at 12:00 PM. Good luck./_ "

Meetra nodded as a thanks. Now entered officially, the group made their way to their respective rooms. HK, while unable to enter itself, agreed to accompany them. The Handmaiden was already on her way while the others intended to spectate the next day via their ship.

Arriving to the top floor, their bedrooms came into view. Room 47 for Meetra and Atton while Handmaiden and Visas would stay in next door, Room 48. With a swipe from her key card, Meetra entered the room with Atton and HK.

The room was fairly big, fitted with two separate beds, a refresher and a TV. Everything they needed during their stay.

"I call first bed," Atton announced, diving onto said bed to rest for a while.

It may be the later afternoon, but the walking through the desert and town had left the former exile exhausted. Taking off her boots, Meetra rested on her bed as well, both hands placed behind the back of her head.

"Statement: awaiting orders, master," Hk requested.

"Nothing required, Hk," Meetra assured. "Power down until tomorrow."

Reluctantly, HK's glowing eyes disappeared as his body went stiff, shutting down all systems. Now Meetra and Atton were alone. There was a moment of silence, both unsure if they wanted to start a conversation or not.

Atton eventually began, trailing off slowly. "Gotta say, it's been a crazy journey. Who would have thought a half-naked chick would train me to use the force and travel all across the galaxy?"

Meetra softly chuckled in agreement. "It's been weird, all right. It won't be long until this journey is at an end."

That reminded Atton of a question that had been wondering around his mind since they left Malachor. "I gotta ask, what's the plan after all this?"

Meetra raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"After we find Revan and stop the sith, then where do we go from there?" Atton inquired curiously. The very thought of thinking into the future left him puzzled.

Meetra had never thought about that. While Kreia may have told her the future on Malachor, who's to say she was right? The force worked in mysterious ways and could have easily fooled the elder woman into believing she knew the future. "I guess I never thought about it. When I exited my exile, I considered rebuilding the order, but now, after everything that's happened, I'm not sure. What about you, Atton?"

Atton shrugged. "My last job kinda got blown up, doubt I'll be returning there anytime soon. Never gave it much thought either."

The thought was scary. No one knew what the future held for the crew of the Ebon Hawk. Atton's question had now left them in a couple of minutes of awkward silence. It only they had given this more thought in the future.

Meetra finally spoke up. "I guess we'll all go our separate ways. Revan will go home, Carth will return to the Republic and the others will return home."

"What about you?" Atton asked rather slowly.

"I don't intend to return to the order, maybe...Live a normal life," Meetra replied. The very thought of settling down after everything that had happened was strange. "Maybe I'll move somewhere to Lothal, stay in touch with Revan and Bastila."

As she finished, Atton remained silence for a few seconds, choosing his next response with much caution. "If, uh...You're looking for a roommate to share rent, I'm available."

Meetra turned towards him curiously. "Really?"

"Yep," Atton nodded. "If that's all right with you."

Meetra raised a small smile, the thought of living with Atton amused her. "I would be perfect with me. But if you leave any clothes around the place, you better watch out."

Atton chuckled, both amused and relieved to her response. While they were alone, he had one more thing he needed to say without the others watching. "Meetra."

"Yeah?"

He opened his mouth, but the necessary words became a blank. Now was not the time. "Nevermind."

* * *

Gathering their reinforcements, the sand people prepared to launch another attack on that vessel that had tainted their land, disrespecting their cultural. In a squad consisting of twenty tusken raiders, they made haste to attack.

As they closed in on the ship, their leader ordered them to stop when something new that was not there before appeared to before them. In shock and disgust, the leader approached dozens of wooden structures that had been placed on the outsides a small distance from the ship.

Effigies of their deceased warriors had been set up, their body features cut into different pieces that now hung on wood. Horrified and enraged upon seeing their fellow people cut up like meat, they turned around and retreated, screaming as they did so.

Aboard the Ebon Hawk, Canderous observed them through the turret window, a chuckle of satisfaction followed as he watched them retreat. Satisfied with his hand work, he jumped down. "That should teach them to mess with us again."

No one else shared his glory of scaring them away. Most of them continued their work with the exception of Mission, who had something to speak.

"Canderous, you may have just made them mad," Mission warned while she adjusted some writing on T3's head. "What's stopping them from getting more sand people to attack us?"

"I'll blast them and build even more effigies," Canderous simply responded.

Mission only sighed and continued with her work. Bao-Dur, however, finally had enough. He had put up with the mandalorian's actions of so-called 'glory' and 'honour'. Placing down the wrench, he approached him, anger building within, a feeling he had not experienced since Meetra taught him to wield the force.

"How do you people like you sleep at night?" Bao-Dur questioned, his voice growing sinister. "You took pleasure in cutting up those raiders like they were nothing."

Unfazed, Canderous stood his ground against the zabrak. "In case it slipped your eyes, they attacked us first."

"But you didn't have to cut them up like animals!" Bao-Dur growled. "Your kind of nothing but cold-blooded killers. Malachor should have been the end for you."

The tension was beginning to attract the other's attentions who stopped what they were doing and gathered around.

"I would watch your tone _very_ carefully," Canderous warned, placing an emphasis on the 'very'.

"Or what?" Bao-Dur questioned, taking a step forward towards him. "Are you going to murder me as well? It wouldn't be surprising, you low life murderer. I'm surprised you didn't murder your children for the 'glory' of battle-"

Their argument finally turned verbal into physical. Canderous raised his fist, a single hit collided directly with Bao-Dur's face. In response, Bao-Dur uppercutted him with his robotic arm. Had it not been for his helmet, Canderous may have been seriously injured.

As they scuffled, the others stepped in to break it up. Juhani and Mission pulled back Bao-Dur while Carth and Mical did the same with Canderous. Mandalore ceased fighting immediately, but Bao-Dur clearly wanted to vent his frustration, hurt the mandalorian for everything he had done.

"I don't have time for this," Canderous responded as he pulled his arms out from his restrainers. "I got clans to recruit, not to play with children."

He marched away towards the exit of the Ebon Hawk, intending to walk to the city alone as before. Bao-Dur continued struggling for a moment until he begun to settle down.

"Relax Bao-Dur," Juhani pleaded. "Remember your training, do not give into your hate."

"It won't make you any better than him," Carth added. "Please."

Acknowledging their advice, Bao-Dur calmed himself, exhaling a deep breath. Now with a clear mind, Bao-Dur turned towards the crew before him. "I'm sorry, everyone. I promise nothing like that will happen again."

"It's okay," Carth assured and everyone nodded in agreement. "Just cool off for five minutes, calm your mind."

Bao-Dur nodded and retreated to the garage to rest for a few moments. The tension settled, everyone returned to their work as normal. While they did not blame Bao-Dur for his dislike, that did not mean they approved of their reckless behaviour. Like it or not, everyone here was a team, and a team had to stay together, otherwise what did they have here?

They could only hope there would no future fallout.

* * *

 **That brings us to the end of chapter 14, folks. Now I may have gone a little dark with the tusken raider scene at the end, hence why this story is rated T. Now regarding the tournament, reason for that is I'm a huge Dragon Ball fan and I've always wanted to see what a fighting competition in the Star Wars verse would be look. Anyway, thanks for reading and I'll see you guys in chapter 15.**


	15. Chapter 15: Quarter-finals part 1

**Knights of the Old Republic 3: The Final Chapters**

 **Chapter 15: Quarter-finals part 1**

 **Hey guys, how's it going? I apologise for the later update, been extremely busy lately. I won't go into details about it, but hopefully everything should calm down come January. Anyway, onto chapter 15, enjoy.**

* * *

Rested, calm and ready for action, it was time for the tournament to begin. Meeting with Handmaiden and Visas along the way, Meetra and Atton made their way towards the indoor building where the preliminary rounds were going to be held.

Due to the rules on use of armor and weaponry, Meetra was forced to abandon her Jal Shey armor and don a simple pair of beige tunic robes with brown boots. They may serve as a better advantage just the same with no weight restrictions.

"This is it," Meetra announced as they joined the other fighters.

The preliminary rounds were being held inside, away from spectators view. To watch the games when they officially begun, the crew of the Ebon Hawk had opened the channel, intending to watch the whole events without abandoning the ship.

As the time hit 8:40 AM, one of the announcers called forth the fighters, and they all entered.

A rodian acting as the announcer stood before the fighters. "Attention everyone! On behalf of our arena master Kora the Hutt, I would like to welcome you all here today! As host, I will need to explain the rules."

Some sighed in boredom as the announcer pulled out a holopad to continue.

The announced clear his throat before continuing. "Seventy-two have entered today and now all of you will take part in the preliminary rounds. Only eight of you will get through to the main events. The eight will take part in the quarter-finals where each of you will fight another one-on-one. Four of you will then pass onto the semi-finals and continuing fighting one-on-one. Two of you will advanced to the finals. The winner will receive a total grand prize of fifty-thousand credits. You may win any round in three methods: knocking your opponent out of the ring, your opponent cannot up on the count of ten or your opponent surrenders. Armor and weapons are strictly forbidden. Anyone seen using these will be immediately be disqualified and possibly arrested. Are there any questions?"

None of the seventy-two replied. Meetra acknowledged everything she needed to know, now it was just a matter of winning. She observed the other fights. Most of them did not look too challenging, but she would never allow her overconfidence to cloud her judgement.

"Everyone will be broken into groups of as multiple fights will occur simultaneously," the announced informed them. "You were all given a number upon entry. When we call your number, step up to the ring. Group one is 1-18, Group 2 is 19-36, Group 3 is 37-54 and Group 4 is 55-72.

Meetra observed her number: seventeen. She was in Group one. "What number are you guys?"

Atton, Handmaiden and Visas replied one at a time.

"Twenty.""

"Forty-nine."

"Sixty-five."

"None of us will be fighting each other then for now," Meetra noted in delight. "The force is with us this time."

Multiple announced begun to call their numbers to their respective groups. The one from the second group called the the first two competitors. "Number nineteen and twenty."

"I'm up," Atton announced, walking towards the stage to begin his first round.

"May the force be with you," Meetra called, watching as her friend climbed aboard the stage.

His opponent was another human male, not much smaller from Atton in both height and width. His skill was unknown, but the look across his face clearly hinted he was not messing around.

"As this is the preliminary, both of you only have a minute to knock the other out," one of the announcers informed. "If neither of you win by then, judges will decide who did the better performance. Good luck to you both. Now, fight!"

The bell rung. Atton's opponent did not hesitate to charge. In range, he begun to throw multiple hits towards him. Using his old training with the Sith combined with Meetra's teachings, Atton avoided most of his hits with not too much difficulty.

A punch was thrown, but Atton countered by catching it before headbutting his opponent. Stunned, Atton took his chance and shoved him backwards. The opponent staggered, tripping out of the ring and declaring Atton the winner.

"Number twenty advances through!"

Atton turned towards Meetra, taking a small, sarcastic bow before jumping off the stage.

Handmaiden observed his style, impressed with his performance. "The scoundrel has more skill than I anticipated. Impressive."

"That's Atton," Meetra agreed. "Always full of surprises."

More fights went on as different opponents battled it out. Eventually, group 3 announced Visas number and her opponent.

"Number forty nine and fifty!"

Without a word, Visas approached the stage. Before she climbed, one of the announcers stopped her to ask the obvious question.

"Excuse me, miss, but are you blind?" he questioned as politely as he could.

Taking no offense, Visas answered. "I am without sight, yet I see better than most foes here. I can fight if that is the answer you seek."

Although slightly puzzled, the announcer allowed her to continue. Visas' opponent was a male weequay, a tough one to be exact. Meetra actually felt concerned at first, not because Visas was in danger but because her opponent had no idea what he was about to face.

The weequay warrior was not pleased with his opponent, turning towards the coaches. "I came here to fight tough buys, not a blinded woman!"

Unfazed by his comment, Visas calmly spoke. "I am without sight, yet you are more blinded than I."

He growled, turning towards her. "All right! Don't say I didn't warn you."

"Fight!"

Eager to get get this over with, the weequay charged and proceeded to throw a strong strike, intending to knock her down with once. His fist almost collided, but found himself hitting thin air instead. He remained puzzled as he stumbled forward, almost falling out of the ring.

He gathered himself, turning towards the miraluka who had her back to him. "What did you do?"

He moved forward to grab her, missing yet again. Swiftly, Visas ducked down and elbowed him in the stomach, followed with a kick to his lower stomach. Both startled and pain, the weequay stumbled backwards, one hand clutched to his stomach.

Visas stood yet again as she slowly approached the end of the ring. A perfect way to finish this, the weequay launched into the air, his leg stretched out with the intention of kicking her out of the ring. His kick came close, but watched in horror as she calmly sidestepped, tricking him into going straight out of the ring.

"Forty nine advances through!"

Meetra watched the events occur, pleased with the miraluka's style. She had never experienced her unarmed combat, always wielding her lightsaber in other situations. Satisfied, Visas jump down from the stage and rejoined her master.

"Impressive, Visas," Meetra praised.

"Yes," Handmaiden agreed.

"It was nothing more than child's play," Visas assured, but appreciated their gratitude nevertheless. "But I thank you for your kind gesture."

Minutes passed and many more fights occurred until finally, it was Meetra's turn to fight. While she was not one for violence, she was anxious to get going.

"Number sixteen and seventeen."

With a stretch of her legs, Meetra stepped into the ring and needless to say, she did not expect to be face to face with a gamorrean. Joy.

"Fight!"

Gloating, the gamorrean snorted and laughed in a mocking tone. " _/You fight me, little girl? You no match for Box!/_ "

Calmly, Meetra crossed both arms as she used the one minute round limit to plan her attack. He was twice her size, both in height and width. Taking him down may not be as easy as she anticipated.

"I'm standing here, big boy," Meetra reminded as she took up a defensive stance. "Come and get me."

" _/Box crush you now,/_ " Box snorted and stomped towards her.

He threw a strong strike with his gigantic arm. She ducked and countered with two jabs to his stomach, but they did little to nothing. He threw his arm backwards to knock her away, but she dodged and spun behind him, followed with a kick to his back in an attempt to push him out the ring.

Box laughed, both hands placed to his stomach. " _/You can't beat Box! Little girl is too weak! I destroy little girl now!/_ "

Brushing her brown hair from her eyes, Meetra had enough. Waiting until Box threw another hit, Meetra had a plan. With small assistance from the force, Meetra leaped up and landed on his back, positing herself on his shoulders.

" _/Hey, what you doing?/_ " Box questioned, raising his arms to grab her.

Before he could do so, Meetra proceeded to attack, delivering blows to his face, the weaker part of his body. Now experiencing pain, Box begun to spin around, desperately trying to throw her off.

He stumbled in circles until he finally came to the edge of the ring. The opportunity arise to finish him. With one strong strike to his face, Meetra stunned him and leaped off as he tumbled backwards, falling out of the ring with a sickening thud.

Meetra landed gracefully, spreading her arms as he landed.

"Number seventeen advances through!"

Jumping down from the stage, Meetra joined Atton who raised his hand. She indulged him and high-fived him.

"Nice going," Atton praised. "I was worried big boy there may have crushed you with all that weight."

"Size isn't everything, Atton," Meetra replied, crossing her arms as they waited for their numbers to be called again. "Gather your strength. We have a long journey ahead."

* * *

"We've been watching the same view for an hour now," Mission noted, leaning back in her chair impatiently. "Why haven't they started yet?"

"According to the rules, everyone has to go through the elimination rounds first," Bao-Dur explained while he skimmed through the datapad that contain details on the tournament. "That means off audience eyes. We'll see the beginning in a couple of hours."

With nothing else to do for now, everyone else stood away from the holo TV and proceeded to keep themselves occupied. Carth entered the cockpit and sat down, taking watch from T3 to monitor any suspicious activities.

No more sand people had attacked them a second time. Either Canderous' warnings worked, the sand people were gathering more reinforcements or they simply given up and decided their ship was not worth attacking. That was unlikely; sand people never gave up.

Until the tournament begun, all the crew do was wait.

* * *

One by one, each contestant fought one another until they either won or lost. The preliminary rounds slowly came to an end as the time reached 11:30 PM. Sixty-four of the fighters were out and only eight remained. Fortunately, Meetra and all of her friends had got through. That gave them a fifty-fifty chance of winning against the other four.

As the eliminated contestants left the room, one of the announces brought to the remaining fighters together. "Congratulations. Eight of you have made it past the elimination rounds and now you are ready to enter the officially tournament."

While he spoke, Meetra slowly studied the other four fighters. They may look like the average fighter, but their skill had brought them this far.

The announcer continued speaking. "Now here is a box. One by one, each of you will step forward and pick a number at random. This will determine who will fight the other. First up, Meetra."

The former exile stepped forward, placing her hand into the box. She pulled out a number on paper and showed it to the announcer.

"You are number 2. Next, Visas."

One by one, each stepped forward and collected a number until there was no more. The quarter-finals were about to go underway and now they had to get prepared.

The announcer finished writing their names on a chart that contained their names. "For round 1, we have Tabit VS Meetra. For round 2, Visas VS the Handmaiden. Round 3, Atton vs Hesthat. And for round 4, Jit vs Sebucan. All of you please follow me to backstage."

The group of eight did as they were told, walking with the announcer towards the tournament. The time to fight was nigh and Meetra knew she was going to be the first one up. With what little time they had left, Meetra analyzed the other four fighters.

Jit was a male human with very short black hair to the point where he was almost bald. He had a black beard and wore a completely black tunic along with a black trench coat. He was built, quite muscular and standing at it least six-foot-two. Throughout the time here, he kept a very motionless face to the point where he looked as if he contained no emotion.

Sebucan was a male Rodian with the usual appearance of their species, only he had a scar running down the side of his face. He donned a pair of yellow loose-fitting clothing and appeared average height. He appeared quite confident, though maybe a little too much.

Tabit was a female Bith, only she had two different coloured eyes. One being the usual black while the other was green, a rare condition for their species. She wore a purple tracksuit as her uniform. Her face appeared to be peaceful, much like their species, but looks could be deceiving. Nevertheless, Meetra sensed no deception from her.

Hesthat was a male wookiee, standing at their usual tall height. He had a grey and brown fur and appeared to have quite an aggressive attitude. While he did not appear too intelligent, his incredible strength made him dangerous.

These are the four fighters they needed to defeat to win the prize money.

"Why do I get stuck with the wookie?" Atton sighed while shaking his head in disappointment. "Just my luck."

Before long, they reached back stage and some took a seat while others were eager to continue their training already. The announcer informed them to remain until their names were called.

Stepping out from the backstage, the announcer stepped onto the center of the ring, the circular arena loomed around him. Everyone cheered upon his arrival, clearly eager to see entertainment. Above in a private booth was no other than Kora the Hutt.

Taking a small bow, the announcer waited for the crowd to settle. Donning a microphone, he greeted them with pleasure. "Citizens of Tatooine, I welcome you all this years annual fighting tournament! Please give a warm welcome to our host, Kora the Hutt!"

The crowd did as asked, cheering for the crime lord. Kora sat within his private booth, the best view of the whole tournament. He spoke to the audience as their cheerings settled. " _/Welcome. Welcome. Let the games begin!/_ "

Hutts were known for their short speeches and this surprised no one. The announcer took his cue to speak again. "And now without further or do, let the games begin! For round 1 of the quarter-finals, we have Tabit VS Meetra!"

Hearing her name, Meetra stood and slowly made her way to the ring, Atton wishing her good luck along the way. Her opponent Tabit joined her along the way. Stepping into the tournament, they were met with cheers as they both both stepped onto the ring. Surrounded by hundreds and cameras made Meetra feel slightly anxious.

* * *

"There she is!" Mission called excitedly. "There's Meetra!"

Everyone gathered upon hearing the name of their leader, gathering around the holo TV.

* * *

Meetra and Tabit stepped at the opposite sides of the ring, preparing to fight the other.

The announcer stepped off from the ring to avoid getting in the way, explaining the terms they must follow. "Welcome! Both of you will fight the other without any time limits. You will win if either your opponent is knocked down for ten seconds, knocked out of the ring or if they surrender. Begin!"

The time to fight was nigh. With a deep exhale, Meetra prepared herself and taken up a stance. Her opponent did the same, carefully watching her with her big eyes.

" _/Good luck, human,/_ " Tabit wished.

Meetra nodded and returned the gesture. "May the force be with you."

With a few seconds of studying the other's style, the two fighters charged and engaged in hand to hand combat. Meetra remained on the defensive for now, studying her opponent's fighting style. Tabit was surprisingly a good fighter, striking with such strength and speed. This was going to take longer than Meetra thought.

As Tabit threw a strike from her right hand, Meetra blocked and countered with two strikes to her lower stomach, followed with a light kick that caused her to stumble.

Regaining her footing with a small cartwheel, Tabit remained in place as Meetra moved on the offensive. Taking a chance to finish this, Meetra attempted to grab Tabit's arm and throw her out of the ring now.

Tabit-expecting this-caught Meetra's hand, followed with a headbutt. Unable to dodge the large biff's head, Meetra was forced to take the blow head on. Stunned, Meetra ceased attacking to gain herself. Tabit did not hesitate to continue her assault, striking Meetra with great speed.

Gathering her focus, Meetra raised both arms and remained on the defensive for now until she saw an opening, relying solely on her soresu form. An opening occurred when Tabit clumsily slipped one foot, almost causing her to trip. With an open opportunity, Meetra striked two jabs into Tabit's torso, followed with an undercut.

The impact knocked Tabit to the ground back first, dazed and disappointed with letting her guard down. Now on the ground, this begun to the countdown sequence to begin.

"1! 2! 3! 4!"

Placing both hands against the ground for momentum, Tabit flipped herself back onto her feet. Fired up and ready to go, the countdown to her defeat seized.

"Tabit is back up!"

This was not to be unexpected. Meetra fully acknowledged that she did not strike Tabit hard enough to keep her down, a regret she could have to live with. The fighters continued their battle against the other.

While the round 1 commenced, the remaining fighters waiting backstage were granted their own private room until they were ready to fight. Their room had beverages, training equipment and most importantly, a window that had a clear view of the tournament.

Atton, Handmaiden and Visas watched the fight continue below. Despite Meetra's enhanced training, she and Tabit fought on equal skill, both trying to gain an advantage over the other.

"The Bith is well trained," Visas noted curiously. "Her skills put that of a Jedi to fight at their full potential.

"We should be careful," Handmaiden agreed, her eyes narrowing towards the others. "The rest of these fighters bring different skills: strength, speed and skill."

Atton followed her gaze, watching the other three fighters nearby. "Yeah…"

Jit sat cross legged in the corner of the room, eyes closed and as still as a statue, deep within concentration. Heshat seemed inclined in doing push-ups to get prepared while Sebucan took advantage of all the free beverages. If they came this far, then no doubt they were just as strong. Ignoring the other fighters, the three allies turned their attention back towards the fight below.

Meetra caught Tabit's fist with one hand, using her free to strike her in the lower torso and followed with a backwards kick. The impact knocked her a good few feet backwards. Unwilling to take anymore chances, Meetra continued her assault and threw more hits, each one causing Tabit to stumble close to the edge of the ring.

As Tabit came close to falling her, she swiftly dodged Meetra's attack. Positioning herself behind the former exile, Tabit restrained in in a choke hold, one arm held tightly around her neck with the other around her torso, keeping her secured.

"ARGH ARCK!" Meetra groaned, feeling her oxygen cut off by the second. She knew exactly what Tabit was trying to do: choke her into submission and win by knockout.

"Tabit has Meetra in a choke hold! This looks like the end to round 1 coming soon!"

"Come on," Atton muttered beneath his breath. "Don't let her choke you, Meetra. Get loose."

Running out of time, Meetra had to act fast. With her free arm, she striked Tabit in the face a couple of times in a desperate attempt to get free. Tabit was not easing up, refusing to let go when victory was so close.

In the corner of her eye, Meetra noted that they were right at the edge of the ring, Tabit especially. Perfect. Using what little space she had between them, Meetra lunged her head backwards, hitting Tabit directly in the face.

Stunned, Tabit was forced to raise one arm to nurse her injured face. Meetra elbowed her in the stomach to get free from her other arm. Now free, Meetra spun and delivered one final blow against Tabit. The crowd watched as Tabit flew from the ring, landing back first out of bounds. Round 1 was now officially over.

"Tabit is out of bounds! Meetra wins round 1 and moves onto the semi-finals!"

The audience erupted with cheers as Meetra waved to them. While she was not here for glory, that didn't mean the fans weren't entitled to a little amusement. Before she left, Meetra knelt down at the edge of the stage, offering one hand out to the defeated Bith.

Surprised at this kind gesture, it took Tabit a few seconds to appreciate the act of kindness. Accepting Meetra's hand, Tabit jumped back onto the stage as she eyed her former opponent.

" _/Good match, human,/_ " Tabit praised with a nod. " _/You were very skilled./_ "

"Thank you, Tabit," Meetra smiled, patting one hand against her shoulder. "You're well trained. Someday you will make a great warrior."

Without another word, both fighters exited the stage simultaneously, all while the crowd cheered for them.

* * *

"She did it!" Mission whooped as she and Carth jumped for joy, hugging each other while doing so.

"This is the true skill of a pure-hearted warrior," Juhani agreed proudly.

* * *

"And now to begin round 2 of the quarter-finals! Visas VS the Handmaiden!"

* * *

 **And that concludes chapter 15, folks! Now I'll be honest, I've rarely wrote fight scenes in any of my previous stories and not sure how they would work. Additionally, I had to imagine how martial-artist would fight as well. Hopefully I could give you all an idea on what was occurring. If anyone has any problems with how I write the fight scenes, don't be afraid to tell me what you didn't like.**


	16. Chapter 16: Quarter-finals part 2

**Knights of the Old Republic 3: The Final Chapters**

 **Chapter 16: Quarter-finals part 2**

 **Hey guys, back with chapter 16. Only a couple of weeks until the Last Jedi is released, seriously cannot wait to watch it, it's gonna be great. Anyway, enjoy the chapter.**

* * *

Meetra joined the others in the private room, making it just in time to see Handmaiden and Visas getting ready for their fight. She bid them both well as they passed each other. Now that she had passed the quarter-finals, there was nothing left to do but spectate for the time being.

"Hey, nice work out there," Atton praised as she took a seat beside him. "Had me worried for a second there when she got you in a chokehold."

"I got careless," Meetra admitted, crossing her arms with a disappointed expression. "I cannot afford any more mistakes. If either you, Visas or the Handmaiden fall, our fate will be in my hands."

Atton understood her worry but did not share it. With a relaxed attitude, he calmly lifted his feet up, using one arm as a pillow while the second he used to hold a small bag of snacks towards her. "Candy?"

"Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the second round of the quarter-finals!"

On their cue, the Handmaiden and Visas exited the building simultaneously and slowly advanced towards the stage. Both did not say a word towards the other as the stage came closer into view. Their minds were fully focused on the fight. Taking to the stages, both stood at the ends of the ring, preparing to fight.

"Ladies, you both know the rules," the announcer informed. "Begin!"

The Handmaiden stretched out her arms and formed her echani stance. This time, she did not intend to lose to the miraluka like before. "No matter the outcome, we will be a step closer to winning. Let us hold nothing back."

"Agreed," Visas nodded. "Let us begin. An audience awaits."

Without another thought, the two fighters charged towards the other until they were engaged in combat. Learning from her past mistake, the Handmaiden had her guard up and did not underestimate her opponent. Last time she was fueled with rage, but now, she had a calm and clear mind.

Despite her lack of sight, Visas fought with incredible speed, blocking each of the Handmaiden's strikes. However, her speed did not allow her to deliver a direct hit without the risk of lowering her guard. As of now, they were evenly matched.

* * *

"My bets on Visas," Mission said as she placed a handful of credits down onto the table.

"The Handmaiden's more skilled than she appears," Bao-Dur disagreed, placing his own money on top of her own. "My bet's on her."

Carth narrowed his eyes towards them. "Are you seriously making bets?"

Mission shrugged. "No reason not to make things more interesting."

Carth merely rolled his eyes and continued watching the match.

* * *

As Handmaiden threw a kick, Visas caught her leg and slowly bent it to the side, intending to catch her off guard. Handmaiden retaliated with a an elbow strike, only to miss when Visas ducked. With her leg still within her grasp, Visas swung in a ninety-degree angle and threw Handmaiden through the air, intending to throw her out of the ring quickly.

"This is a wrap up for round 2!"

This was to be expected, but the announcer's statement proved false. Before falling out from the ring, the Handmaiden had saved herself by placing both hands against the edge of the ring, holding herself upside down. With a small backflip, she rejoined the center of the ring.

"Handmaiden has prevented herself from falling!"

Through the force, Visas sensed exactly what had occurred. Crossing her arms, she spoke towards her opponent. "Impressive. You are well trained, Handmaiden."

"My mistress taught me everything I needed to know," Handmaiden replied between throwing strikes towards the blinded warrior. "There is no warrior that can outclass us."

"You are blinded with pride," Visas noted as she calmly dodged each strike. "And that will be your undoing. That is why your sisters failed."

The mention of her now deceased family struck a nerve. Enraged, the Handmaiden felt something inside her snap. It was not anger, but something different. Something stronger than emotion. Suddenly striking with lightning speed, the Handmaiden landed multiple strikes on Visas, each one briefly stunning her and knocking her back.

Atton certainly noted her sudden increase in strength. "Meetra, you-"

"I sense it, too," Meetra quickly responded. "The Handmaiden is strong in the force. She has briefly gave into her emotions."

"The dark side?" Atton questioned carefully.

Meetra raised her head, unsure of how to answer. "I do not know. I don't think she's evil, just mislead. However, this is important. Once we are clear of this planet, I must discuss this with her at once."

With one more strike, the Handmaiden delivered a devastating punch directly to her face. Her fist collided with Visas face, knocking her backwards towards the edge of the stage. Agonised from the sudden strike, Visas fell to her knees, holding one hand against her injured face. Had she not already been blind, that last attack might have damaged her sight.

A defenceless opponent laid right in front of her and Handmaiden knew this was her chance to finish this fight once and for all. Moving with incredible speed, the Handmaiden intended to finish this once and for all, one strong kick to end this fight.

She charged, reaching Visas in only a matter of seconds. Swiftly, she threw her leg forward with the intent of kicking Visas out of the ring. It would have been successful, had her foot not suddenly been caught by the miraluka.

That's when Handmaiden realized Visas was faking her injury. Before she could reacted, Visas leaped to her feet and struck the Handmaiden with her free hand, all while holding the Handmaiden's leg. Swiftly, she simultaneously tripped Handmaiden's other leg while releasing the first one, causing her to fall back first with a sickening thud upon impact. Down, the announcer took his cue to start counting.

"1! 2! 3! 4!"

"You fought well, Handmaiden," Visas praised as the stood over the downed warrior. "Stay down. This is a fight you cannot win."

"5! 6!"

Though weakened from the fall, Handmaiden still had enough strength left to communicate. "We are echani. We never surrender, no matter the outcome."

"7! 8!"

Raising both legs in a cross pattern, Handmaiden grasped Visas legs, causing her to lose balance and fall to the ground as well. Quickly, Handmaiden positioned herself on top of Visas, holding one hand against her throat to subdue her.

"Handmaiden is back up and has Visas in a choke hold!"

Refusing to give her any breathing space, Handmaiden held her grip down with all of her strength. Visas, of course, resisted and braced herself, placing both hands against Handmaiden's arm in an attempt to ease her hold over her.

"She's gonna kill her," Atton noted, the first time he felt concern for the miraluka.

Meetra remained calm throughout the ordeal, watching the fight with a clear mind. "She won't. I sense no intentions of harming her. It's Handmaiden's will to fight that makes her determined to win this round."

Moments passed and nothing changed. Handmaiden was now confused as to why Visas had not yet passed out. Her breathing was blocked for a whole two minutes, yet she remained strong as before.

"Why do you remain conscious?" Handmaiden questioned.

Visas did not reply. Instead, she raised one hand and struck Handmaiden in the face, stunning her enough to get free. Leaping to her feet yet again, she calmly rubbed one hand against her throat, unfazed from being choked for so long. "The force sustains me, allowing those trained to survive on small traces of air. My master was fortunate enough to teach it to me."

Wiping a small bit of blood from the side of her mouth, Handmaiden glared towards her opponent. "You rely too much on your force tricks."

"And yet I have made this long without the use of them," Visas countered with her own argument. "Prove me wrong then, echani."

With pleasure, Handmaiden charged, both hands raised to strike. Calmly, Visas blocked one hand before catching the second. Visas punched her in the stomach, followed with a kick to her abdomen and then ending with throwing her forward.

Handmaiden came to a halt right to the edge of the ring, her feet barely staying on the ground. She turned to defend herself, but could only watch in horror as Visas leaped towards her one leg stretched out. Her foot collided with the Handmaiden, sending her flying out from the ring while Visas calmly performed a back-flip to remain in the ring.

"Handmaiden is out of bounds! Visas wins round 2 and moves onto the semi-finals!"

Disappointment washed over the Handmaiden as she hit the ground, declaring her the loser. She watched as Visas calmly walked out of the ring. With a small sigh, Handmaiden recovered and marched out of the ring, pushing past the announcer while doing so.

* * *

"Blast it," Bao-Dur sighed as Mission collected her winnings.

* * *

"Nice work out there, both of you," Meetra praised as the two previous fighters rejoined them in the private area.

Visas merely nodded. As for Handmaiden however, she pulled up her hood to conceal her face and proceeded to leave.

"Where are you going?" Atton questioned.

The Handmaiden ignored his question, leaving the room and possibly the arena itself. Losing the match must have taken a toll on her more than they thought.

"Let her go," Meetra suggested as she focused their attention on the matter at hand. "You better get ready for your fight."

"Right," Atton agreed slowly, narrowing his eyes towards his much larger opponent standing nearby. This was a fight he was not looking forward to.

Heshat narrowed his eyes towards him, a sinister grin raised across his hairy face. It was not longer until the announcer called their names. Together, the two made their way towards the arena. Meetra had every faith that Atton would pull through but even she knew wookies were a difficult opponent to defeat in hand to hand.

"And now to begin round 3 of the quarter-finals! Atton VS Heshat!"

As they entered outside and approached the ring, Heshat spoke for the first time in his native language. " _/When was the last time you felt fear, human?/_ "

Atton, who understood Shyriiwook, countered with: "When was the last time you took a bath? You smell worse than bantha poodoo."

Heshat growled and wanted nothing more than to tear his arms out of his sockets. With all these spectators, he would not only be disqualified but arrested with the possibility of execution. He needed this money, no matter what. Besides, he only have to waited a few minutes until he got the satisfaction of beating Atton to a pulp.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the third round of the quarter-finals!"

The two entered the ring, standing ready to fight. The announcer reminded them of the rules quickly before he moved out of the way. Atton stood firm and calm while Heshat remained eager for bloodshed.

"Begin!"

With time short, Atton did not hesitate to charge forward, intending to finish this fight quickly. He lunged forward with swift speed and punched Heshat in his lower torso to wind him. His attack failed. In desperation, Atton begun to deliver a fury of attacks against Heshat in different parts of his body but his attacks did not appear to harm him at all.

Atton ceased his punches after they were proven ineffective. Changing strategy, Atton grabbed Heshat's torso to tackle him. He wouldn't budge, no matter how hard Atton tried. Atton gasped for air, exhausted before they even got five minutes into the fight.

Heshat chuckled at Atton's pathetic attempts to defeat him. " _/Silly human! Heshat body made of steel, you cannot harm me!/_ "

"The scoundrel is wasting his energy trying to finish the fight early," Visas noted, her mind fully concentrated on the fight below. "He may want to switch strategy, for his opponent is too big to take down through natural means."

"Size is not everything, Visas," Meetra reminded. "Everything can be overcome. How we go about doing it is the way of the Force. I have every confidence he can win this."

Atton took a step backwards to avoid Heshat's slow but powerful arm swings, knowing one hit could leave him unconscious. He had to change strategy, for brute force alone wouldn't be enough. ("If only I could use the force on this big guy, this would be over in a second. He looks like he would fall pretty hard...Wait, that's it!")

A risky idea wavered his mind, but it may be his only hope. Charging again, Atton stood less than foot away, delivering another punch to his torso, yet again proving a waste of energy.

Heshat chuckled yet again as raised his hand to attack but stopped when he noted Atton ducking down. This left him confused, that was until he felt Atton grabbing onto his leg. " _/What are y-WHOA!/_ "

Thinking more strategic than fighting force, Atton decided to use Heshat' size against him. While Heshat had been distracted with his overconfidence, Atton had grabbed onto his leg and with some struggle, he flipped the large wookie down onto his back.

Atton chuckled and dusted his hands. "I had the feeling you would fall over easy enough."

Atton stood at the end of Heshat and grabbed both of his legs within his . It took him to muster all of his strength, but slowly, he began to pull Heshat towards the end of the ring.

" _/Let me go! Let me go!/_ " Heshat demanded, slamming his fist down as he struggled.

Atton ignored his demands and continued pulling him through the arena. It was putting strain on his arms to move him, but nothing was going to stop him. It took some time but he dragged Heshat to the end of the ring and finally released him out from his grip.

Meetra smiled in satisfaction, pleased with his results. The fight was not over yet, but she had a feeling the end of round 3 was nigh. At this point, the crowd were laughing at Heshat's humiliating attack.

Enraged at the humiliation he was forced to endure, Heshat leaped to his feet and threw his giant arm towards the smaller man. Expecting this, Atton caught his arm within both of his own. He struggled as both of them faced the edge of falling out of bounds.

Atton didn't know how he did it but he pulled Heshat over his shoulder and out of the ring. The giant wookiee landed flat down onto his stomach, out of bounds.

"Heshat is out of bounds! Atton wins round 3 and moves onto the semi-finals!"

A quick match didn't leave the audience too satisfied but nevertheless, they applauded. Atton basked in the glory and did not hesitate to take a couple of bows. Needless to say, Heshat was not happy in the slightest. Humiliation, defeated by a small human and laughed at by the residence of Tatooine. That was a defeat he refused to acknowledge.

With a growl, Heshat leaped to his feet and climbed aboard the ring, marching straight over towards Atton with the intent of hurting him.

"Hey, hey, the rounds over," the announcer reminded, placing one arm out to stop Heshat. Instead of being met with compliance, Heshat raised his arm and whacked the announcer out of the ring, his incredible strength knocking the poor rodian 10 feet into the air before he landed with a sickening thud.

"Not good," Meetra noted, quickly leaping to her feet to step in.

"Hey!" Atton protested.

" _/Die!/_ " Heshat roared, raising his giant arms to swipe at Atton.

With no limits holding Heshat back, he violently attacked. Atton dodged most of his strikes, but one unlucky move caused him to lose his footing. Heshat seized Atton by his throat, lifting him up from the ground as his legs dangled while the air was crushed from him.

Atton raised his foot to kick him a few times, but no amount of damage eased Heshat's grip. Meetra stepped up and prepared to leap out of the open window. That was until a grip on her arm prevented her from going.

"Visas?" Meetra questioned.

"If you interfere, the hutts may see this worthy of a disqualification," Visas warned, her grip on her master's arm firm. "For you and Atton. Trust in your faith with him."

Although she was hesitant, Visas was right. With a a small reluctance to do so, Meetra stepped down and awaited to see events unfold. Down below, Heshat continued to choke Atton with the use of one hand, slowly crushing his throat as he stared into his enemy's eyes.

" _/You embarrass Heshat,/_ " the wookiee growled, slowly moving Atton's face towards his own. " _/Now Heshat kill you./_ "

Atton wouldn't deny he was terrified. His throat was crushed, no one arrived to help and he couldn't use the force without the risk of everyone mistaking him for a Jedi. Then the whole planet would be after them for bounties. Worst, Meetra would never know the truth.

Refusing to back down, Atton opened his mouth and bit hard into Heshat's claw. Surprised and left in pain from his desperate act, Heshat was forced to let go to nurse his injured hand. Atton fell to his knees, clutching one hand over his throat as he coughed to gain his breath.

"Okay pal," Atton coughed as he stood, glaring towards the larger wookiee still nursing his hand.

Atton charged, leaping forward to gain some momentum. He tackled Heshat by the waist, finally knocking him to the ground. Positioning himself on top, Atton did not hesitate to begin his attack. Wielding both fists, Atton struck Heshat from left to right as strong as he could, his attacks finally powerful enough to physically harm him.

Although the actual fight had ended long ago, the crowd cheered for Atton as he continued his assault, not giving the wookiee any breathing space. It wasn't until security arrived that Atton finally ceased his attack. His fists were left shaking from punching Heshat so many times.

He stood and stepped back, allowing the security to restrain and escort Heshat out of the ring for his violent behaviour. By now, the announcer had recovered. Though dazed, he was far from injured.

"You okay?" Atton inquired.

"Yes," the announcer nodded, holding one hand against his dizzy head.

"Am I disqualified?" Atton asked carefully.

"Goodness, no!" the announcer reassured. "Heshat attacked, and you defended yourself. No rules have been broken on your end. You may leave now."

Meetra watched proudly as Atton exited the ring and rejoined the others. The second he entered, Meetra couldn't help herself as she and Atton embraced in a small hug. "You were great out there."

Atton was caught off guard by her gesture, but he didn't exactly resist. He let out a small chuckle as their hug came to an end. "Just a big guy who needed to be taught a lesson. No biggy."

"And now to begin round 4 of the quarter-finals! Ji VS Sebucan!"

The final match of the quarter-finals was about to commence. With this being the first round without any of their team participating, Meetra could enjoy the fight without concern. The two fighters prepared to fight. Jit finally moved from his meditative stance while Sebucan drank down one final drink, eager to fight.

* * *

"That was a close one," Carth stated as the third round concluded on the screen in front of them.

"Atton wields more skill than he knows," Juhani noted curiously. "He is a worthy fighter."

Mission's eyes glued to the screen, ignoring Juhani's previous comment. "The fourth rounds about to start."

"This is it," Bao-Dur noted. "Final round of the quarter-finals."

* * *

"Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the fourth and final round of the quarter-finals!"

The audience applaud, screaming at the tops of their lungs in anticipation for the final rounds. Even Kora was actually getting interested after the third round almost put him to sleep until Heshat violated the rules. Jit and Sebucan entered the ring simultaneously. The announcer, feeling that they heard the rules enough times, skipped informing them and allowed the round to begin now.

Sebucan did not hesitate to take up a defense pose. His opponent, however, remained perfectly still. Jit glared towards him, a face fall of no emotion as he merely placed both hands in his pockets.

" _/You may want to take up a defensive state,/_ " Sebucan suggested casually with a hint of sarcasm.

Jit did not respond, keeping his position. With a small shrug, Sebucan charged and threw a direct hit towards Jit. With speed no one could dare to imagine, Jit calmly raised one hand and caught his fist with little to no ease.

" _/What?/_ " Sebucan questioned, struggle to release his hand from Jit's grip.

Within a few seconds, Jit raised his free hand and striked directly into Sebucan's stomach. Everyone watched in awe as Sebucan collapsed, holding both arms over his injured torso. The great pain left him paralyzed to do anything as the announcer begun to count.

"1! 2! 3!"

"Incredible…" Meetra breathed, watching with surprise as the events unfolded below them.

"4! 5! 6!"

As the counting continued, Kora beckoned for his right hand man Donde to approach. " _/Donde. Jit. Who is he?/_ "

"You worked with him before, m'lord," Donde reminded with a whisper. "That is Jit the legendary assassin of the Outer Rim Territories, known for never failing a contract. You hired him to kill your uncle a decade ago."

"7! 8! 9! 10! Sebucan has been knocked down! Jit wins round 4 and moves onto the semi-finals!"

The short round came to an end. Sebucan continued to nurse his injured wounds, clutching his lower stomach in agony. As for Jit, he placed his hands back into the pockets of his trench coat and retreated out of the ring.

The announcer did a quick check on Sebucan to make certain he was not permanently hurt. With his microphone, he spoke to the crowd. "That concludes the quarter-finals. We will be taking a short ten minute break until the semi-finals commences!"

* * *

 **Chapter 16 is at an end, ladies and gentlemen. The quarter-finals have come to an end with the remaining four fighters moving onto the semi-finals. Hope you all enjoyed and I will see you all next time with chapter 17. Until then, peace.**


	17. Chapter 17: Semi-finals

**Knights of the Old Republic 3: The Final Chapters**

 **Chapter 17: Semi-finals**

 **Hey guys, back with chapter 17. Now a bit of important news before we get onto the chapter. Because it's December and Christmas is coming up, along with work stacking up for me and so on, this is going to be the last chapter for a little while. Don't worry, I'm not abandoning the story, just taking a break. I'll see you guys and gals around January. Until then, peace.**

* * *

The semi-finals were about to begin very shortly. One step closer until Meetra and team won the tournament. Only four fighters remained now, three of those fighters were on the same team, giving them a three-quarters of a chance to win overall.

The remaining four fighters gathered backstage as a Gran worker begun to make gestures towards the their names on a chart. "The semi-finals will begin shortly. We have Meetra VS Visas and Atton VS Jit. Good luck to you all."

The four fighters retreated back towards the fighting stage. However, this time things were going to be different. Unlike the previous round, both matches were going to commence simultaneously. The team exited the inside of the building and into the arena itself. The previous stage had been moved from the centre and were replaced with two separate stages in the same size instead.

"Citizens of Tatooine, it is now time for the semi-finals to begin! In stage 1, we have Meetra VS Visas. In stage 2, we have Atton VS Jit. The same rules apply as before."

Meetra and Visas entered stage one, taking respectful bows to the other.

"Visas, just because we're friends, I don't want you to hold anything back," Meetra requested as she took up a defensive pose. "Can you do that?"

"As you wish," Visas agreed.

Atton prepared himself for his next opponent. Just one more to go and then to the finals. He could be fighting Meetra. Nevertheless, Atton wasn't going to get too confident. Compared to the other fighters, Jit looked serious. He didn't appear to contain a single emotion across his face.

Jit slowly stepped up from his position and marched his way into the ring. By now, Jit had stepped into the ring and stopped. All four fighters were read to go.

"Begin!"

The semi-finals officially begun. Without hesitation, Meetra and Visas begun to fight. After studying each other's styles from the previous matches, both knew every move their opponent had to offer. Now it was just a matter of finding a weak spot in their style.

Immediately, Atton raised his hands in defence. As for Jit, he remained perfectly still with his hands placed in his pockets,, simply glaring towards his opponent.

Atton raised his eyebrow as he slowly marched forward. "You're not going to put up a fighting stance?"

Jit did not respond and continued to stare down upon his enemy. The crowd were watching in silence, eager to see the fight between both team's best fighters. The tension was killing them.

Meetra raised her arm to block a strike from Visas. With quick speed, she ducked and performed a sweep kick to trip her. Visas fell, but placed both hands down and performed a back-flip to regain her balance.

Visas charged towards her master, but as opposed to striking, she leaped slightly and rolled over Meetra's back. She landed on her back before thrusting both legs forward, her feet colliding with Meetra and sending her a few feet tumbling forward.

Surprised, Meetra had no choice but to take the kick. That attack almost caused her to stumble out of the ring. Flipping forward, Meetra placed both hands down and performed a handstand to steady her balance before flipping herself back into the ring.

It took a moment or two until Atton finally decided to attack. With a yell of determination, he lunged forward to strike. As Atton's hand almost came into contact, Jit suddenly struck him directly into his nose. The force was so powerful that it actually knocked Atton down onto his back.

Atton was a born fighter but that last attack hurt more than everything he had ever experienced. He clutched his nose as he slowly regained his footing. "What the heck?"

Fortunately for him, Jit had not continued his attack. He remained in position as he moved one hand back into his pocket.

"How did he do that?" Atton questioned himself aloud. "He moved so quick, it's like…I couldn't even see him move!"

Meetra ducked to avoid two of Visas kicks. Leaping up, she met Visas halfway into the air. Placing both hands on her shoulders, Meetra headbutted her before delivering a knee to her stomach. To finish off, Meetra raised her arm and elbowed Visas to the ground, watching as the miraluka fell towards the stage.

Visas braced herself midway, but not enough to save herself from injury. Landing on both feet, Visas injured herself slightly, losing her footing. Meetra landed too, but much more safer. Although on her knees, this did not count as a knockdown and therefore, no countdown.

"Your training has come a long way, Visas," Meetra praised. "Now get up. I sense you have much more energy left in you to fight."

Jit glared down towards Atton for a moment until for the first time since their arrival he spoke with a suggestion: "You should give up."

Atton raised an eyebrow yet again. "What did you say?"

"You should give up," Jit repeated a second time.

Atton was not one to get overconfident but how dare the man try to worry him with words. "Don't think just cause you got one lucky shot on me I'll drop down."

Lunging forward yet again to attack. From this point forward, Jit wasn't going to get lucky again. As he came close to the assassin, Atton dodged and swiftly spun behind him in an attempt to deliver a swift kick.

His foot almost collided but to his surprise, Jit moved his head out of the way a split-second before impact, surprising Atton yet again. How could this guy move so quick?

Atton did not get another chance to think when Jit begun his attack. With incredible speed, Jit raised his fists and delivered yet another punch into Atton's chest.

As Meetra threw another punch, Visas pushed her arm upwards to break her guard. Without hesitation, Visas elbowed her master in the stomach, followed with an undercut and then throwing her over her shoulder to hit the ground.

Meetra fell back first. She was forced to move to avoid Visas fist slamming into her face, rolling out of harm's way. Quickly, she fell forward and tackled Visas to the ground. Visas pushed her off before throwing a kick, only for Meetra to catch her leg before throwing her to the ground.

Atton regained his footing before falling out of the ring. That was a close one. Atton groaned and began to nurse his injury. Compared to Jit, even Heshat's punches didn't hurt that much. "He did it again. How is he hitting me so fast? That kick should have got him!"

Jit continued to frown as he awaited Atton to begin his attack again. The crowd remained silent in the meantime as they eagerly waited for more but all the while curious as to how Jit was moving so fast. What type of trick did this guy have?

Atton had to try and different strategy. Attacking Jit head on was not getting their team anywhere. He had to relax and think. ( _"Jit's a lot quicker than I thought. I have to try something different. Maybe if I can react quicker than he moves, I might be able to counter his next strike. I just need to be quicker than he is!"_ )

Meetra and Visas charged, engaging in a grip lock as they both attempted to push the other back. With a small grunt, Meetra pushed her backwards. While holding Visas' wrists, Meetra ducked down and begun to unleash a fury of kicks against Visas' stomach, using her restrained hands to keep herself balanced.

As seconds passed, Meetra leaped forward to knee her in the stomach again. Now expecting this, Visas raised one leg to block her knee. Finally pulling one of her hands free, Visas countered with a punch to Meetra's chest and then a direct kick to her hip.

In other fights, Atton would have planned differently but against an opponent like Jit, options were limited. As Atton planned, Jit suddenly charged forward with incredible speed.

Atton braced himself and prepared to counter. Jit came close and before Atton could even think of throwing a punch, Jit swiftly performed an uppercut against him. Atton stumbled as Jit continued his attack, delivering four more quick strikes: one in the chest, another at the side of his head, and two more in the lower torso.

That last attack knocked Atton into the air. Despite the pain, all Atton could think was the impossible. "How is he doing this?!"

Jit leaped up and proceeded to continue. Atton attempted to block but Jit was faster and moved behind him, kicking Atton in the back. Atton groaned in agony as he collapsed stomach first.

Atton recovered and swiftly moved to kick Jit, only to miss. Jit countered with a swift punch to under Atton's chin. He stumbled backwards but this time, Jit seized his attack and allowed Atton some breathing space.

Atton grunted while wiping his injury. "This isn't working. I need to keep back."

Planning a new strategy, Atton moved a good distance back almost touching the edge of the ring. He calmed himself and prepared to defend but surprising, Jit did not continue. The assassin calmly put his hands into his pockets and waited.

A small part of Atton wanted to attack but that would do him no good. "Stop staring me down like that."

Jit suddenly charged yet again. Even with the distance between both men, Jit had somehow moved so quick that Atton didn't even notice him move. He delivered another punch into Atton's hip.

That last attack was too difficult to understand. How could Jit move so fast without anyone noticing? Atton was in too much pain to know. He collapsed onto his side, clutching an arm around his torso.

Meetra caught Visas' arm in a lock and proceeded to deliver three strikes to her chest, then a fourth to knock her down. Before Meetra continued her onslaught, Visas spun on the ground with one leg stretched out. Meetra was quick to dodge with a small jump, but not quick enough to avoid her second leg which struck Meetra in her stomach.

As Visas leaped to her feet, Meetra raised her arms to block. They begun to counter and block the others attack, relying solely on their martial art skills to fight. Meetra side-stepped to avoid Visas fist. Swiftly, she struck to the side of Visas lower torso before kicking her in the stomach.

Visas stumbled, but quickly retaliated with an elbow strike to her master's face, stunning her. She leaped up and delivered two kicks into Meetra's face, knocking her off balance yet again.

Meanwhile, Jit seized his attack yet again and calmly waited. "Do you understand the situation now? Last chance to surrender."

Atton placed both hands against the ground to push himself up but his hip hurt too much. "No…I'll never…Give up!...( _"I can't even hit him cause he moves so quick…If only he would stand still…"_ )

A lightbulb would have appeared above Atton's head if he was in a cartoon. "That's it!"

Atton regained his footing and planned his next attack. "He's beaten me up but I'm still standing and not about to give up."

Jit continued his usual glare towards his opponent. "Have you finished making a plan? Or have you finally decided to give up?"

Atton grinned and shook off the previous pain. Everyone watched in anticipation but from what they witnessed so far, Jit had the upper hand in this fight. It wasn't until Atton charged that the others grew more interested.

Losing energy, Visas was forced to admit she could not keep up the fight any longer. Meetra was far superior to her in every way. Strength, skill, speed and the force. There was nothing more she could do to defend herself.

"You fought well, my master," Visas praised, slouching her arms down in exhaustion. "But it is time you finished this. Your abilities are far superior to my own. You must conserve your energy for the next round."

Meetra opened her mouth to protest, but her words would certainly fall on deaf ears. Visas was stubborn. With a small nod, Meetra raised her hand and calmly shoved Visas aside. Putting up no defense, Visas allowed herself to fly out of the ring and hit the ground with a small thud.

"Visas is out of bounds! Meetra wins and moves onto the finals!"

Now that her fight was over with, Meetra helped Visas back onto the stage before they watched the second fight continue a few feet ahead. Atton was still struggling in his fight against Jit.

With a roar of determination, Atton charged directly towards Jit. Atton raised his hand to attack but not surprisingly, Jit had countered with a swift punch to his lower body.

This time however, Atton did not get blown back. Instead, he grabbed Jit's arm to prevent him from moving. "Try and dodge now!"

With Jit restrained, Atton raised his other hand to punch Jit in his face. His fist came close but the assassin moved his head to the side a split second before. Jit used his fist currently pressed into Atton's body to inflict more damage. He pressed his hand further within, causing Atton to freeze in agony.

Atton tried to tolerate the pain but that final strike was just too much for him to endure. Without another word, Jit stepped back and watched as Atton plummeted towards the ground, clutching his injured side while doing so.

"1! 2! 3! 4!"

"Atton!" Meetra called, hoping her words would give him the strength to recover.

"5! 6! 7!"

"Your words are wasted," Visas warned, feeling Atton's energy dropping at an increased rate. "Atton cannot recover in time."

"8! 9! 10! Atton has been knocked down! Jit wins and moves onto the finals!"

The crowd applauded as the semi-finals came to a full end. Even Kora was excited, but only because his favorite assassin was completely dominating his opponents. Only one more round remained. " _/Donde?/_ "

The twi'lek was immediately at his master's side. "Yes, m'lord?"

" _/Is it too late to make any more bets?/_ "

"Only the final round, m'lord."

Kora smiled his huge lips in delight. " _/Excellent. I want you to bet ten-thousand on Jit right away./_ "

Donde bowed his head in respect before making haste to do as he was instructed.

As the round came to an end, the announcer stepped forward, speaking to the crowd around them. "Ladies and gentlemen, that concludes the semi-finals. We will be taking another short ten minute break until the finals commences!"

His response was met with cheers, whistles and applauds. Meanwhile, Meetra assisted Atton in standing after being knocked down by Jit, placing one of his arms over her shoulder for support.

"You okay, Atton?" Meetra inquired, placing her free arm over his torso.

"I'll live," Atton grunted beneath his breath. "Just get me five juma juices and I'll be golden."

His opponent had not lost a single breath. Jit slowly walked back stage, both hands in his pockets as usual. The three followed suit shortly after, making their way to the private room they had sought sanctuary in during their time here.

Upon arriving, Atton did not hesitate to grab the nearest drink he could find, taking a seat beside Sebucan who was clearly disappointed in himself for losing earlier. As for Jit, he moved to the same position as before, taking up a meditative pose.

Ten minutes until the last fight begun. Leaning against a wall with her arms crossed, Meetra closed her eyes and reached out through the force, seeking to build a connection with him. To her surprise, she felt the feeling return to her immediately. That's when she realized why Jit was such an amazing fighter.

He was a force wielder.

If he was either Jedi or Sith, she certainly had never seen him before. He was too aggressive to be a Jedi yet she sensed no evil within him. Just who was Jit? Her thoughts were broken as Atton caught her attention.

"Whatever you do, don't let your guard down against this guy," Atton warned, his voice full of much concern. "He's fast; faster than you could dare to imagine."

Meetra nodded as a thanks. "Atton...He's strong in the force. I can sense it."

Atton raised an eyebrow curiously. "Sith?"

Meetra shook her head. "I do not know."

" _/You should be careful, human./_ "

Deep within their thoughts, they were unaware that Tabit had rejoined them after remaining in this room since the first round of the quarter-finals.

" _/That is Jit the legendary assassin,/_ " Tabit explained, narrowing over Atton's shoulder towards said assassin. " _/He is fearless, strong, fast. Not a single of his targets has ever managed to escape. You should consider yourself lucky. If it were not for the tournament rules on killing, Jit would have no reason to hold back./_ "

Now she understood the true nature of what she was about to face. No wonder Jit had dealt with all of his opponents with ease. Meetra carefully eyed the assassin while replying to Tabit's comment with her own. "I do not believe in luck, Tabit. I thank you for your warning, but every opponent has their weakness."

* * *

"Is Atton okay?" Mission questioned through her comlink. Witnessing that last round left everyone stunned.

" _A little bruised but nothing permanent,_ " Meetra assured on the other end. " _The last fight is about to commence._ "

"Best of wishes to you," Carth added. "We'll be watching you every step of the way."

" _Thanks everyone,_ " Meetra smiled on the other end as she heard the familiar announce declaring it was time. " _It's time. Meetra out._ "

* * *

 **That brings us to the end of this chapter, ladies and gentlemen. The final round will soon begin between the former exile and the legendary assassin. Who will win? Well as I discussed in the author's note before, we'll have to wait a little while to see. I'll see everyone then. Until that time, have a Merry Christmas from me and a Happy New Year.**


	18. Chapter 18: Finals

**Knights of the Old Republic 3: The Final Chapters**

 **Chapter 18: Finals**

 **Greetings one and all. I'm back and fired up and ready to continue. Hope everyone had a great Christmas and watched The Last Jedi. I loved the movie, considered it to be one of the best Star Wars movies that rivals Empire Strikes Back. I won't spoil anything so don't worry about that. Anyway, onto chapter 17. Enjoy.**

* * *

The time for the tournament to reach it's end had come at long last. The crowd grew eager to see the final match take place, cheering and screaming at the top of their lungs. The two stages disappeared and one more arrived from underground for the final two fighters.

The announcer stepped onto the stage, his microphone as trusty as ever held in front of him. "Citizens of Tatooine, it is now time for the final match to begin! Meetra VS Jit! The same rules apply as before. Now, give a round of applause to our final contenders!"

Like puppets, the crowd obeyed his request as cheers erupted from every direction. From the inside of the arena, they watched as the final contenders exited the inside, walking side by side. Meetra remained confident and calm while Jit held a frown with both hands in his pockets.

Together, they stepped aboard the stage, taking positions at opposite ends. Kora watched from above, eagerly excited to see the final round take place. He was highly enthusiastic that his slaves were forced to grab fans to keep him cold.

"On behalf of Kora the Hutt, the residence of Mos Espa and all of Tatooine, we congratulate you both for making it this far," the announcer praised both fighters, receiving a mere nod from Meetra while Jit remained indifferent. Without another word, he leaped down from the stage. "Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the final round of this years tournament!"

Watching from above, Atton couldn't help but feel nervous about what was to come. After receiving such an endless and brutal assault from Jit, he hated to think what he was going to do to Meetra if given the chance.

"You worry for her," Visas noted out of the blue. "You are concerned."

"Aren't you?" Atton questioned rather defensively.

"My master possesses great potential within her," Visas explained. "We must have faith. It is the will of the Force."

Atton wished he shared her calmness, but as of now, it was his job to be worried. Not only did he not seek to see Meetra get hurt, but this prize money was their last hope. If they lost this round, they lost the tournament and that meant no money. Another tournament wouldn't be held for another year, time they did not have to waste. Nevertheless, Atton had every confidence in his friend to win this.

"Begin!"

Upon hearing the announcement, Meetra pressed both hands in front and took a respectful bow. This kind act of gesture appeared to stun Jit. He raised on eyebrow in surprise but immediately shook it off and kept his usual frown..

With the fight now underway, Meetra raised both hands and slowly marched forward. "I don't know how I am going to do this but I have to win."

Jit continued to stare her down. "I will give you the same chance I give the other fool: give up now."

"I'm sorry, but I can't," Meetra declined. "And that 'fool' happens to be a good friend of mine."

As the match begun, Meetra charged with a yell of determination. Upon reaching the assassin, Meetra tried to throw him off guard by swiftly ducking and delivering a leg sleep. Her leg almost came close but a direct kick from Jit sent her flying backwards.

Meetra fortunately performed a back flip mid-air and landed on her feet, but that kick had her in agony. She groaned and clutched both arms around his torso, trying to tolerate the pain. "Blast it, that hurt...Atton wasn't kidding."

With luck, Jit had not started his offensive. He remained still, giving Meetra another chance to strike.

"I can do this," Meetra told himself for motivation.

Charging yet again, Meetra begun skipping in different directions in an attempt to throw Jit off guard. Her movements were swift, but not enough for the assassin to avoid watching. When close, Jit raised one hand and punched Meetra directly in the side of her face.

As Meetra stumbled, she clutched her hand over her right eye, falling down in agony. Jit swiftly kicked her backwards and took a few steps backwards.

The crowd gasped upon witnessing the attack that was inflicted upon Meetra. Although Jit ceased his attack for now, Meetra was left injured. Slowly, she rubbed her eye until it was calm enough for her to open, fortunately her eye was not swollen to block out her sight. Meetra steadied herself and raised both hands, preparing a defensive.

Jit calmly placed both hands to his side. "You must know that is useless to fight me. No matter how hard you attack me, I will react quicker than you can think. You will cause yourself permanent injury. For the sake of your own safety, surrender."

Meetra raised a small smirk. "I will never surrender. Not when I know how to beat you now,"

Jit frowned in confusion. "Is that right?"

"You'll see soon enough," Meetra assured quite confidently.

"You may be bluffing," Jit assumed.

"You'll" Meetra replied.

The constants stared one another, bringing more tension to the arena. With concentrated strategy, Meetra charged forward yet again to fight on the offensive.

"What is she doing?" Atton questioned. "She's smarter than that."

As Meetra had her hand raised to strike, Jit swiftly threw his own punch when his enemy was within his range. Everyone expected the same results as before, but this time they were in for a surprise.

Jit had never landed his fist on Meetra. When Jit threw that last hit, Meetra had placed one arm over her face, blocking his attack. Everyone was stunned that Meetra had predicated his attack, even Jit was slightly surprise.

Meetra smiled every so slightly as she raised her head. "Surprised? I countered your attack."

Jit, still took off guard that someone had blocked his attack after so many years was not expecting a sudden kick from Meetra. Jit moved his head back to dodge but was not fast enough to avoid Meetra's boot grazing across his forehead, leaving a small mark.

Both fighters regained their footing with Jit now knowing he would have be more careful that he predicated.

"Lucky hit," Jit stated calmly.

"I don't believe in luck" Meetra scoffed in disagreement, placing both hands to her hips. "Are you sure?"

To prove this, Meetra threw a punch yet again. In response, Jit threw a kick, only to have it blocked when Meetra placed both arms upwards in a defensive position.

Quickly as lighting, Meetra leaped her leg up and kicked Jit with all her might, landing a successful blow on the assassin's torso.

"What?" Jit questioned as he stumbled backwards but kept his footing nevertheless.

As Jit recovered himself, he calmly wiped his hand against his torso. "It appears you are more skillful than I anticipated."

Meetra grinned. "It wasn't too difficult. I observed your attacks and timed exactly how long it takes you to throw a punch and a kick."

Despite this sudden news, Jit did not appear to be concerned. Instead, he raised one hand and calmly wiped off the small amount of blood that had been lift from that small scratch. "I praise you for landing a blow on me. It has been a long time since I met someone who could challenge me. But do not let that fill your thoughts with confidence. From this point forward...You will lose."

Those words sent chills down Meetra's spine. It was quite clear from this moment forward that Jit was now going fight more seriously than before. Even with her advantage now, it was difficult to determine who had the upperhand overall.

As Meetra tried to calm her mand, she was surprised to see her own hand shaking. She tried to ease her nerves though the force, but nothing could calm her mind. Something she had not experienced in years had finally returned to her: fear. "I don't understand. Why am I shaking?"

Jit knew the answer all too well. "You are afraid. But you do not fear me. You fear...Something else. Losing, perhaps?"

Without another word, Jit charged and Meetra prepared a defensive stance. Timing Jit's attacks as fast as her mind could comprehend, the two begun to rapidly exchange blows, countering and striking the other.

Jit blocked more two more attacks before catching Meetra's hands within his own. Surprisingly, he had to put more effort just to block.

"I told you I wouldn't give up," Meetra responded, taking her hand back.

"You have skill," Jit noted. "But intelligence alone won't be enough to save you this battle,"

"We'll see," Meetra replied.

With swift speed, Meetra delivered a kick to Jit's side, followed by an uppercut. Caught by surprise, Jit was forced back as Meetra delivered one more punch against his face.

Jit regained his footing. "Not bad at all,"

The two stared each other down, eagerly awaiting for the other to make a move. The crowd was left waiting in anticipation on the edge of their seats. After taking a combat stance, Jit charged, his hand raised to deliver a devastating blow. It would have worked, had Meetra not suddenly hit first, striking hard into the assassin's stomach.

Jit stumbled, clutching one arm against his torso. He expected his opponent to continue with his assault but to his surprise, Meetra had allowed him to recover. "Not going to attack?"

"You let me have a chance," Meetra reminded, stepping back to give Jit breathing space.

It had been a long time since Jit fought someone offering fairness in a fight. Whoever this woman was had been the first one in a long time to actually catch him off guard and put up a longer fight. Jit admired her for that but would never allow his opponent to know.

Now recovered, Jit prepared himself for battle. Meetra had been getting lucky but now it was his turn. With a fast leap, Jit begun his offensive, throwing many punches and kicks towards Meetra who barely blocked each one. As they continued, Jit landed a blow but Meetra in return pushed his arm away and hit back.

With a roar, Meetra charged and threw a punch, only for Jit to block with both arms but the impact had been strong enough to knock him back. As Meetra got caught up in the moment, Jit waited until he was close before delivering a powerful punch directly to her lower stomach.

It took a few seconds until Meetra finally comprehended what had just happened. She collapsed, clutching her injured stomach. Jit stood back as Meetra tried to get back up but the pain prevented that.

If that last blow had been stronger, Meetra might have been down for good. To everyone's surprise, she recovered slowly and was able to stand with some struggle.

Jit didn't know whenever to be surprised or amused. "You don't know how to stay down."

"My teachers always told me I was stubborn" Meetra replied between groans.

Even with the injury, Meetra attempted to throw a punch, only for Jit to calmly dodge before delivering a fury of punches, striking so fast that no-one could hardly see it. The crowd was concerned for both fighter's safety.

After taking what must have been twenty hits, Jit delivered one final kick against Meetra's torso, knocking him down yet again. Every part of her body hurt, more pain than she had even experienced throughout all previous injuries put together.

"GRH! AH!" Meetra cried out between screams, falling down to the ground.

"1! 2!"

In the meantime, Jit stood back with her arms crossed, watching his opponent squirm around in pain. With the amount of damage she had just received, anyone else would have stayed down. Jit expected this but stood back in disbelief when Meetra slowly pushed herself up.

"Impossible," Jit sighed.

Barely staying on both feet, Meetra stood and raised her strained arms in a defensive pose. Her determination caused the crowd to cheer for her, admiring her courage to continue fighting.

"You are indeed a rare fighter," Jit noted. "Why do you continue to fight?"

Meetra wiped a small amount of blood from her mouth. "Long story, too long to tell in a day. My friends and I need the prize money. I don't do this for glory, but for necessity. My friends are counting on me and I owe it to them to win."

Jit was further surprised by that last statement. He uncrossed his arms. "You fight because your friends are counting on yet despite knowing you could lose?"

Meetra slowly nodded in response.

"That...Is very honourable of you," Jit praised but spoke in his usual motionless voice.

"What...About...You?" Meetra inquired, curious as to the assassin's reasons for participating.

Jit didn't remember the last time someone had a conversation. Whenever Meetra was actually curious or was simply trying to buy time to recover didn't matter to him. "It has been a long time since I last fought. I was once considered a legend. Time hasn't been kind to me, less contracts were given. I entered this competition to simply win the title, hoping it would rebuild my reputation. I could care less about the prize. I already have more money than I can count."

This explained his motives for fighting and why Jit had given her so many chances to surrender.

"Our Contestants appear to be having a conversation," the announcer stated impatiently. "Come on guys, we have a show to get on with!"

"I guess...That's our cue," Meetra noted, raising a small grin. "Jit, even if I don't win I want you to know that this fight with you has been great. I would be honoured to face you in combat again someday."

For once, Jit shared the mutual feeling. "As would I. Now let us finish this."

Jit raised both arms and Meetra did the same. Both fighters had received damage but Meetra was clearly the worst for it. She was just about standing, let alone fighting. Without another word, they charged and continued their fight against the other.

With her last ounce of strength, Meetra threw a swift punch that collided with Jit's face. When she threw a second punch, Jit blocked before delivering a punch to her chest, then to the side and with one final kick, Jit knocked Meetra down. That last attack finally did it. Meetra collapsed back first, both eyes closing as she drifted off into an unconscious state before falling out of the ring.

"Meetra is out of bounds! Jit wins and becomes this year's Mos Espa's fighting champion!"

The crowed cheered as the final round came to an end, but not everyone shared the excited. Seeing her injured, Atton leaped to his feet and exited the room via the open window, landing feet first as he charged towards the ring.

Upon entering the arena, Atton fell down to his knees, holding her up in his arms. "Hey! Hey! Don't go dying on me yet. Meetra. Meetra!"

His words almost fell on deaf ears, but his worries eased when Meetra opened her eyes. Despite her injuries, she couldn't avoid raising a smile. "Hey. I guess I lost...Sorry…"

"Hey, don't worry about it," Atton assured, moving one arm under her back with the other under her legs, lifting her up gently to carry her bridal style. "Come on, let's get you fixed up."

Ignoring everything else, Atton carried her back inside while the announcer finished concluding business with Jit.

* * *

"She lost…" Mission couldn't believe her eyes. The second Meetra fell out of that ring, it was over.

Bao-Dur sighed, rubbing one hand over his forehead. "The general put up a good fight."

Carth slumped back in his chair, rubbing one hand through his hair. "Now what? We needed that prize money."

"I do not know," Juhani admitted. "But we must trust in the Force, let it guide us to an alternative path. We will find a way."

* * *

With the tournament officially ended for this year, Meetra and her team made their way back into the city to plan their next step. It was a huge disappointment that they had lost the tournament. Now they were back to where they were before.

Reuniting with HK and the Handmaiden, the small team gathered in a nearby cantina. A quick dip in a bacta tank healed most of Meetra's injuries, allowing her to avoid a hospital trip.

"I'll be the first to say it: we're toast," Atton said glumly after taking a sip from his juice. "We got no money, no way of getting off this rock together."

"It's my fault," Meetra confessed. "If only I held on a little longer, I could have beaten Jit. I know I could have!"

"There is no point in thinking of alternative paths," Handmaiden assured. "We must now look into the future."

Before anyone made any suggestions, the sudden silence of the entire cantina break them out from their thoughts. Everyone's else narrowed towards the exit of the bar when a familiar assassin entered. Known for his reputation, everyone fell quiet in fear.

The bar keeper slowly placed a glass down as Jit marched passed him, hand in one pocket and a suitcase in the other. "Jit. I hope you didn't come to cause trouble."

"Only visiting," Jit assured aloud. "Get on with your drinks."

Residence compiled and music continued. In seconds, the place was lively again. Jit's eyes narrowed directly towards the former Jedi exile before he slowly marched towards her. Atton grew uneasy as he approached, almost standing to fight until Meetra grabbed his arm.

"It's okay, Atton," Meetra reassured, shifting her attention towards the assassin. "Jit."

"Meetra," the assassin greeted calmly. "May I join you?"

She nodded. Jit took a seat in the same booth, placing the suitcase he was holding on the center of the table. Tension slowly disappeared as there as a brief moment of silence until Jit finally broke it.

"I will make this quick," Jit assured. "Winning the tournament has spread fast across Mos Espa. My reputation as an assassin has grew once again. The people have paid me the prize money for the tournament as well. I could not help but think back to what you said, about winning purely for a selfless act. That has my respect, and that is why I'm giving this to you. Here."

Sliding the suitcase over, Meetra accepted and opened the suitcase. Inside, she watched in awe as the prize money sat before her. The others were just as surprised.

"Jit…" for the first time in a long while, Meetra was left speechless. "I don't know what to say. Thank you."

Jit merely nodded as he stood from the booth. Before leaving, he turned to face his former opponent one final time. "I hope to face you in combat again some day."

Meetra raised a small smile. "The feeling is mutual. Goodbye Jit."

Without another word, Jit turned and retreated outside, the cantina finally feeling their worries ease. The group stared in awe at their hope sitting in front of them, the answer of their payers lying before them.

"It's all there," Atton concluded as he closed the briefcase. "All fifty-thousand. We buy the engine for thirty-two and then we have some spending money left."

"No reason to hang around here anymore," Meetra said while raising her comlink to her mouth. "Everyone, regroup at the ship. It's time we're getting off this rock."

The first to respond was Canderous, whom they had not heard from in a while. " _Took you long enough._ "

The second was from Carth. " _I don't understand. I thought you lost the tournament?_ "

"I'll explain everything once we're back," Meetra reassured with a small smile of relief. "Meetra out. Gather your things, everyone. It's time to go."

* * *

 **And that concludes this chapter, folks. Gotta say, it's great to be back. The tournament has ended and the group are ready to continue their journey. I'll see you all next time in chapter 19.**


	19. Chapter 19: Way of the Echani

**Knights of the Old Republic 3: The Final Chapters**

 **Chapter 19: Way of the Echani**

 **Hey guys and gals, back with chapter 19. Apologies for the little longer wait than usual, but you know what they say "All good things come with patience". Anyway, onto chapter 19 and remember to review.**

* * *

Transporting the engine back to the ship was not difficult to get through the deserts with the ease of speeders. Once everyone was accounted for at the ship, it was time to get back on course. Bao-Dur, with the assistance of T3, begun installing their new engine.

Meetra joined Carth and Atton in the cockpit as they prepared to leave. "Status?"

Carth opened up the status of the Ebon Hawk's abilities. "Shields at full strength, thrusters fully, hyperdrive stabled and fuel at ninety percent."

"We'll take off once Bao-Dur installs the engine," Atton added. "Better go and tell the others."

In the meantime, everyone prepared to get settled for the rest of their journey. Except for a few of them. Visas and Juhani, who decided to do some sparring while Mission and Mical sat inside the medical room, the former concluding an old story.

"-once the storyteller told us everything we needed to know, Revan, HK, Bastila, my brother and I left the home of the sand people," Mission finished her story. "That's everything."

Mical was at hard work writing everything she said on a holopad as part of his collection. "Fascinating. I never knew the sand people to possess so much knowledge. Perhaps we could one day try again."

Mission raised an eyebrow to that last comment. "Um, you know that was them who attacked us not long ago, right?"

"I am aware," Mical assured. "But no reason to let one encounter throw us off. We must remain hopeful."

Mission could not help but hold in a chuckle. "At least you're optimistic."

From the storage compartment, Visas and Juhani returned after their training. Compared to a few hours earlier, Juhani had almost fully recovered and was well enough to train again.

"You are a skilled fighter, Visas," Juhani complimented as she wiped a small amount of sweat from her forehead.

"As are you," Visas agreed.

It was not long until Meetra arrived to join the others, gathering their attention with her very presence. "Everyone, we're getting ready to continue our journey to Dromund Kaas. It won't be long until we there, a few days at most. Without any more complications, this is it. Any questions?"

No response as usual.

"Good," Meetra nodded. "Strap yourselves in. Time to go soon."

With the rest of the crew informed, Meetra proceeded to locate Bao-Dur who was putting on the finishing touches to the engine. "We all set?"

"For the most part, general," Bao-Dur replied, opening his hand out to beckon for a tool from T3. "Just need to make a few more adjustments. This is a good engine, might give us some more speed, getting us to Dromund Kaas quicker."

"I'll leave it in your hands. Good job, guys," Meetra praised with a nod.

It was not long until the repairs were finished. Once there was confirmation everything was operational, the Ebon Hawk took to the sky, drips of sand dropping from below. In a matter of seconds, they reached outside the planet and jumped into hyperspace, resetting their course to Dromund Kaas.

The road to come was going to be a dangerous one, and Meetra knew this all too well. She had to stay prepared, focused, not letting her guard down for a single moment. If Jit could deal so much damage to her unarmed, who knows how must power the Sith were capable of inflicting? Once it was safe to move around, Meetra proceeded to the storage compartment to train alone for a while.

Upon arrival, she did not expect to see the newest member of their team training. She turned to leave, but decided this was the best area to train. "Hello."

The Handmaiden ceased training for a moment, turning her head to greet the former exile. "Yes?"

"I see you're training," Meetra noted. "Mind if I join you?"

"I do not see any harm so long as we avoid the other's space," Handmaiden replied before continuing her training a second later. "I am training in order to prepare my body and reflexes. If I am to join you, I must be prepared."

Meetra observed her fighting style before training herself. She needed to discuss what she had sensed, but was unsure how to go about it. Without another thought, she started off a conversation slowly. "So you train with the Echani?"

"That is correct," Handmaiden confirmed while twisting her staff.

"Do you mind teaching me a few things?" Meetra requested. "There's no more forms I can teach myself or learn from the others. Learning the Echani might give us an advantage."

Her request ceased Handmaiden's training as she turned towards the former exile. "You want me to teach you?"

Meetra nodded.

The Handmaiden remained unsure for a moment if she could follow through with such a request. "Training in the arts of the Echani is only permitted for those who are of a high level of the Echani...But there is no harm in showing you some basic principles. Very well, exile. Listen carefully."

Needless to say, Meetra was actually excited to learn. Not only this, but this could be the start of a good relationship with the Handmaiden. "I'm all ears."

"First you must master the body itself. Words alone cannot describe such a feat, that is why our fight will teach," Handmaiden instructed as she threw down her staff. "You will fight with only your hands and feet, no objects, no Force abilities, no weapons, nothing that will give you an advantage. Understood?"

"I understand," Meetra assured.

"Then let us hold nothing back, exile," Handmaiden requested as she took up a fighting stance. "I studied your movements at the tournament against the assassin. Prepare yourself or I will hurt you."

Meetra did not get to reply as Handmaiden charged, throwing multiple strikes. She barely dodged each one as they fought, throwing her arms up in a protective manner. It was not long until Handmaiden landed a kick to her side, knocking Meetra to the ground.

"I told you to hold nothing back," Handmaiden reminded as she threw another kick.

Meetra caught her leg and retaliated with a punch to her lower torso. Studying her movements carefully, Meetra anticipated a punch and caught it within her hand. Surprised, Handmaiden did not expect her opponent to strike before throwing her to the ground.

Their fight continued for a couple of moments until Handmaiden declared their training had came to an end.

"You fight well, exile," Handmaiden praised. "Your mind has allowed you to understand my style through movement and anticipation. Impressive."

"I had a good teacher," Meetra replied. "Should we continue?"

The Handmaiden held up her hand as a request for silence. "Before we continue, there is something I must ask, something important. My mistress told me all of your betrayal of the order. While I do not approve, I am curious as to why you chose to go back and face trial?"

That was a question Meetra asked herself everyday. She felt hesitant to answer at first, but saw no harm in answering. "I remained strong to the order. They deserved an explanation for my actions and I wanted to defend myself as well."

"I see," Handmaiden replied curiously. "I admit you are brave to go back. Not many would willingly walk back to their own sentence."

"It felt like the right thing to do," Meetra admitted with a small hint of regret in her tone.

While not one for attachments-especially people whom she had only met, Handmaiden could not help but sympathize with her. Willing to change the subject, Handmaiden raised her arms. "Come, let us fight again. Your next lesson is anticipation. Can your body react as quickly without thought?"

Before Meetra reply, she did not expect a sudden fist to come directly towards her face. Moving with less than a second to spare, she narrowly dodged the Handmaiden's punched.

"Good," Handmaiden said. "I will attack you with everything I have. Do not think, simply react to my movements."

The instructions were clear enough. With her guard up, Meetra acted on the defensive, swiftly dodging each of the Handmaiden's attacks. She fought quick when holding nothing back, a feat which Meetra had to acknowledge fast.

Time passed until their training came to an end. To her relief, Meetra had completed the training without taking a single hit.

"Impressive indeed, exile," Handmaiden noted, surprised that someone none-Echani could learn so fast. "I was concerned your awareness of your own abilities would ruin your training, but I was wrong. I do not know the answer, but there may be a possibility your connection to the Force to allow such things."

Her comment almost made Meetra's eyes jump from their sockets as she now remembered the main reason she needed to speak to her. "Handmaiden, I must ask...Did you train in the ways of the Force?"

Handmaiden shook her head. "My mistress forbid my sisters and I to learn the very thing she believed caused the great Jedi purge. Why do you ask?"

"I watched your fight against Visas. I sensed you briefly give into...The lesser end of the Force," Meetra said in a careful tone. "I believe you have the potential to wield it."

This news did not appear to faze Handmaiden at the least. Instead, she calmly replied to her statement. "I am not surprised, exile. My mother was a member of the Jedi order."

"Interesting," Meetra said intrigued. "May I hear more about your mother?"

"I do not know if we have the time for such conversation," Handmaiden declined rather quickly. "We must be training."

Meetra knew exactly what she was trying to do. "It's okay. I sense your worry. I won't force you to tell me, but we are taught to open up with our past back at the order."

Handmaiden glared towards her for a moment, trying to decide if she felt comfortable doing so. With a small breath, she finally replied. "Very well, exile. However, I have a condition of my own: we will spar while doing so. Agreed?"

Meetra nodded. "Agreed. Ready when you are."

Their training commenced shortly after, but they fought at a much slower rate, allowing the Handmaiden to keep her breath as she told her story to the former exile.

"My mother was named Arren Kae" Handmaiden begun as she calmly pushed aside one of Meetra's strikes. "She was one of the Jedi who fought in the war. My father followed her as well. Sad to say, I never knew her and that is what I miss. I only keep one of her possessions to honour her memory."

"And that is?" Meetra inquired.

"Her robes," Handmaiden replied. "I have never had the chance to wear them in the past. Atris forbid anything that would remind us of the Jedi order."

Meetra ducked to avoid one of her legs before answering. "I take it those are stored in that bag you've been carrying closely."

"You are correct," Handmaiden confirmed. "My mother was also one of Revan's teachers. After the fall of Revan and marrying my father, the order had no choice but to cast her out from the order. However, she followed Revan to war against the mandalorians. My mother never returned, it can be assumed that she died."

"I'm sorry," Meetra apologized.

"Do not be," Handmaiden assured. "My mother's actions were her own, there was no one to blame. That is all I can tell you of my mother."

As their duel came to a conclusion, Meetra could not help but express her gratitude for this information. "Thank you, Handmaiden. It was an honour to learn from you, both history and style."

"Think nothing of it, exile," Handmaiden reassured. "But I thank you for your kindness, nevertheless. Now I have a question of my own, if I may?"

"Of course," Meetra agreed.

"The Force," Handmaiden begun. "How do you do it? To wield such a power yet remain calm with a pure heart, never allowing it to corrupt you. It is a mystery I must know."

Meetra crossed both arms as she pondered the right words to explain without confusing anyone. "There is the light side and the dark side. I was devoted to the order since a very young age. I was a Jedi, yet I always felt like the odd one out. I was different."

Handmaiden raised an eyebrow. "Different how?"

"I broke rules," Meetra explained. "That is how I was exiled. When trouble arises, I disobeyed orders to help people. I never did it because I enjoyed fighting. I just didn't want to sit by and watch people die. Because of this, I don't think I'll ever by either light or dark. I consider myself in the center."

Her words had left Handmaiden thinking back to Atris words. The way she described the former exile implied she was nothing but a murderer who enjoyed the glory of battle. Yet here she was, standing right in front of her, peaceful as day.

"You are a mysterious one, Meetra," Handmaiden noted. "A part of me is beginning to feel as if my mistress was wrong with our teachings. I never knew my mother, yet her death left a hollow within me. It is wound that has never healed."

(" _Did she just call me 'Meetra'_ ") Meetra noted before getting back to the present.

Handmaiden continued. "What if...What if I was to be a Jedi? What if my potential has been hidden away? What if I can train in the ways of the Force, to break my oath."

Upon finishing, Meetra stepped forward and placed one hand upon her shoulder, a gesture she did not shrug off. "Becoming one with the Force is a difficult task, one that requires a great deal of dedication and focus. I can teach you, but only if you are willing. I cannot teach someone who will not teach themselves."

Now Handmaiden had to make a choice: follow in her mother's footsteps and break her oath or remain as a Echani fighter. With a deep breath, she closed her eyes to think for a moment. "Where we will go is dangerous and even I may not survive...But with the will of the Force, I may at least stand a chance. I am ready, I am committed. I have watched your actions and I can think of no one better to train me than you. I want to feel what my mother felt for my father."

"I can teach you," Meetra said firmly. "The training will be difficult, more than anything you have ever faced."

"I promise that I will not let you down," Handmaiden promised, her mind fully focused on taking her first steps to mastering the Force. "I will honour you, as I honour the face of my mother."

Meetra raised a small smile. "Let us begin."

* * *

While their fearless leader trained with their new guest, Atton took a break from flying to play some pazaak with Mission. To make things more interesting, the two agreed to make some bets with a limit of one-hundred credits.

"Stick on ninteen," Mission said as she placed her cards down.

Atton planned his next move carefully. Fifteen. He would need at least four to draw, five to win. Any higher would lose as he no longer had any of his own pack to use. The score was two each. This round would decide the winner.

Without another thought, Atton placed down a card from the deck. No surprise, he pulled down a ten, making his total to twenty-five. "Blast it."

Mission let out a small chuckle as she gathered her winnings. "Tha-a-a-a-nk you. Another win for the Vao."

Atton leaned back in is chair, crossing his arms with a saucy look. "How do you keep doing this? I swear, you're almost as bad as tin can over there."

Said astromech droid heard, beeping in protest before he begun mocking Atton on his loss.

"That does it!" Atton leaped up from his chair and began to chase T3 yet again.

Their chase came to an end when they reached the medical bay where Mical was reading one of his novels until their sudden outburst broke him from his thoughts. Moving from his chair, he moved out just in time for T3 to almost knock him over.

"What is the meaning of this?" Mical inquired, watching Atton halt in front of him.

"That little scrap heap is about to get a date with space," Atton replied, watching T3 hide behind the historian.

Mical could only sigh at another one of Atton's antics. "Atton, would it not be best if you and T3 ceased your constant bickering? Maybe actually try to bond."

Atton scoffed at this suggestion. "Bond? With him? I'd rather spent a night alone in a well with a bantha."

"Then at least try to be more civil around the others," Mical requested. "Please."

Atton opened his mouth to protest, but saw no reason to argue further. "I'll drop it for now. I'll get you next time, sparky."

T3 responded with another insult before running away elsewhere. Seeing no other reasons to hang around, Atton turned to retreat elsewhere, but ceased when Mical called him back.

"If you are seeking activities, perhaps we could bypass time with some teachings," Mical offered, though he felt as if his words would fall on deaf ears. He and Atton were not exactly close. "I can teach you basic medical skills, help heal others in battle."

Normally Atton would not hesitate to decline in favour of getting away, but seeking to build a better relationship with the team upon Meetra's request, he was about to say something he may very well regret.

"Fine," Atton agreed, surprisingly Mical. "Show me."

* * *

Wielding the Force was no easy task, one that the Handmaiden found more difficult than she imagined. Following the teachings of the former exile, she remained seated as she meditated, attempting to build a connection through the Force.

"I feel the Force, yet it is quiet," Handmaiden spoke, her eyes remained close. "It is little more than whisper."

Meetra stood only a couple of feet away, keeping watch over her progress. "I sense your hesitation. Your body wishes to connect, but your mind says different. Relax, clear your mind of any negative thoughts. Do not be afraid to connect it."

Handmaiden followed her teachings the best she could, but the words of her mistress created a barricade between that connection. It was as if Atris was standing right beside her, right now. "I understand why Jedi were trained it a very young age. It is difficult to accept something you were taught your whole life to resent."

"The past is in the past," Meetra reassured. "You cannot allow it to blind you any longer. Let it go."

Inhaling a deep breath, Handmaiden eased her mind, pushing any memories that prevented her from establishing a connection to the back of her mind. As moments passed, Meetra raised her eyebrow as the Handmaiden's staff levitated above her.

Meetra's proud smile soon turned into annoyance as she spotted a familiar face standing the entrance, one stretched inside. "Atton!"

The scoundrel released the staff as left their presence, chuckling in amusement while doing so. Meetra couldn't avoid a sigh of embarrassment. (" _How did I get stuck with this crew?_ ")

* * *

 **That brings us to the end of chapter 19. Now I know a lot of this is very similar to that of training the Handmaiden in the game, but I am creating my version of this. Plus we never get to see Handmaiden interact with female exile so it may be interesting to see. Stay tuned for chapter 20.**


	20. Chapter 20: Preparation

**Knights of the Old Republic 3: The Final Chapters**

 **Chapter 20: Preparation**

 **Greetings my fellow Star Wars readers. Mr. Assassin here (Or John if you refer to call me by name), but here we are with the twentieth chapter. Hard to believe it's been over four months since I first published. Thank you all for joining me on this journey so far. Enjoy chapter 20.**

* * *

"So what is the point of this again?" Atton asked as he crossed both arms. Standing with him was Mission, Juhani, HK and Mical.

"I need to practise my detective skills and improve my mind," Meetra explained a second time. "This is the plan: the four of you are going to improvise a murder scene. One of you will be the victim, the other three will be murder suspects. HK will be my information droid. You will devise stories and it will be my job to deduce who is the killer. Simple?"

"I think it sounds like fun," Mission agreed enthusiastically. "I'm up for it."

"I believe this would also benefit my own skills," Mical added.

"Good," Meetra noted. "I'll go to the cockpit and return in fifteen minutes. That should give you guys more than enough time. Questions? No? Good."

A small fifteen minutes passed until Meetra returned. No surprise, it was Mical who was playing the victim as he lied on the ground of the garage, playing dead. The others stood by, preparing to get into character.

"What happened here then?" Meetra questioned obviously.

"Statement: these three meatbags claim to have found him shot in the back with a blaster bolt," HK stated as if he were almost happy. "We appear to have a killer amongst us."

"So it would be seem," Meetra agreed. "I'll need statements from all of you. But first, I need to speak with HK in private."

To avoid the rest of them hearing, Meetra escorted HK to the other side of the garage where they were out of the others hearing range. "HK, what can you tell me?"

"Statement: local historian Mical was found dead," HK-47 begun. "His time of death was pricely 15:07 PM. His body was found by the one they call Mission. She claims to have found him dead with Atton standing by him with a blaster rifle. However, Juhani claims that she saw Mission running away and Atton just happened to be nearby. Who will be the mystery murderer?"

"Let's find out," Meetra agreed. "Stay here. I'll go and speak to them."

Meetra first spoke with Mission to hear her side of the story to put things together. "What were you doing before Mical's death?"

"I was on my way to the garage to make some repairs to T3 when I found Mical lying dead on the ground," Mission begun, remembering to keep her story like they planned. "Atton was standing there with a blaster rifle in his hands. Juhani appeared shortly. I personally think Atton did this."

Meetra memorized the facts she would need before moving onto her next suspect: Atton. "And what's your side of the story?"

Atton cleared his throat before telling his story. "I was in the storage compartment getting a snack when I was making my way back to the men's dormitory. When I was passing through the garage, I found Mical lying dead. I thought the murderer might be back so I ran to my room, got my blaster, came back and there was Mission and Juhani. If you want my opinion, I think Juhani did this. Mission ain't the killing type."

Interesting. More pieces of the puzzle were coming together. Her final suspect was Juhani. "And your story?"

"I was merely passing through the ship when I heard Mical scream. As I arrived, I saw Mission run away," Juhani explained. "As I inspected Mical, Atton arrived shortly afterwards with a blaster and so did Mission. Either one of them could have done this, but I believe Mission to be the likely of the two."

With all the information she needed, Meetra gathered her facts. "After thinking over the facts, I have came to a conclusion: Mission is our killer."

"Oh really?" Mission played along as she crossed her arms. "Your evidence?"

"You claim to have came here to fix T3, yet he's not even here," Meetra noted, but she was far from done. "Juhani saw you run away and return shortly after Atton arriving to. You shot Mical, ran away and returned to make it seem you only just noticed. You planted the weapon in the men's dormitory for Atton to pick up and make him seem like the accused. Atton does not carry a rifle, only a pistol. Am I right?"

There was a brief silence before three applauded her.

"You were right," Mission admitted. "Guilty as charge."

"Your detective skills are most impressive," Juhani praised. "Well done."

"May I get up now?" Mical requested after the silence he was forced to endure. "This ground isn't exactly comfortable."

Meetra leaned down to take his hand and help him stand. "Good job, everyone. You played your parts well. Almost had me convinced you were real criminals for a second."

"It comes from experience," Atton replied, only to receive glares from the others. "What?"

Meetra shook her head in amusement before retrieving two wooden swords, gently tossing the second towards Mission. "Up for some more practise?"

Mission caught the sword with ease, eager to get going. "Always. We training the cargo hold?"

"We'll do so here," Meetra replied. "The Handmaiden is training and I don't want to disturb her. Bao-Dur's helping T3 in the communications. We got the garage to ourselves."

Taking his cue, Atton turned to leave. "Ladies, farewell. I'm gonna go and check on grumpy in the cockpit."

As the scoundrel left their presence, Mical dusted off his clothing before taking a polite bow. "If you will excuse me, I have my studies to catch up to."

With the exit of the disciple, they had the garage to themselves. They started off small for now, Meetra didn't intend to throw Mission in the deep end straight away.

"We'll work on your Ataru today," Meetra instructed, taking a stance into said form. "This form is more aggressive than Soresu. This style of fighting is better to use against a single opponent if you want to overwhelm them quick, but it will give you a disadvantage against blaster opponents and confined spaces. You'll be fast and swift against other melee opponents. Understand?"

"I got it," Mission instructed as she mirrored her teacher's stance. "Ready!"

Their training commenced as Mission followed Meetra's teachings by the book. The former exile was surprised at how much of a fast learner Mission was grasping the concepts much quicker than any youngling ever could. She was a natural.

As they continued sparring, Mission spoke up between swipes of their weapons. "Mind if I ask a question?"

"Fire away," Meetra nodded.

"It's about Soresu," Mission begun, moving one foot into the hair to avoid a strike. "I get that the form is defensive, but how is that going to help me in a fight? If I'm too busy blocking their attacks to even try and land a hit."

This was a question Meetra had asked her former master Kavar a long time ago. She now passed on those wise words to the twi'lek. "Sometimes the best offense is defense. Not every opponent will be willing to go down as quick. Soresu will keep you safe from stronger enemies, allowing you to keep the advantage. If they are the impatient type, you can wait until they slip up their technique and strike them down."

"Ahh, now I get it," Mission responded. "We keep our guard up until our enemies tire themselves and then strike them down?"

"Exactly," Meetra nodded. "You're a quick learner, Mission. I'm impressed. It is unfortunate that I couldn't teach you the ways of the Force. You would have been great."

Mission's interest peaked up, almost breaking her off concentration from their fighting. "You think so?"

"Absolutely," Meetra agreed. "Your stealth and hacking skills give you an advantage in a fight, I'd hate to think fighting you if you could wield the Force."

Needless to say, as a kid, Mission had always dreamed of becoming a Jedi, hoping to one day become like the heroes she had to come to know from many years ago. "That's something else I wanted to ask you about. You told me that all life is connected to the Force, yet not everyone can learn to use it?"

"It is unfortunate, but it is a feat limited to some," Meetra explained. "Most are born as normal, but some were gifted with Force sensitivity, allowing us to be trained in using it. Like myself, Atton, Bao-Dur, Visas, Mical and Handmaiden if she can learn to use it."

Mission built up on the same topic with further questions. "And how does that come to be? Is there a pattern on families?"

"If only it were that simple," Meetra replied half-hearted. "Two Force sensitive parents could have a non sensitive child and vice versa. I'm afraid DNA has no effect on this, it is the will of the Force that helps those build a connection."

Their sparing continued as Mission ceased her questions for now to concentrate on their training, putting up a good offensive against Meetra. She was no fool and fully acknowledged that Meetra was not fighting at full power.

Moments passed until Mission spoke again. "Are you scared?"

Meetra raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"When we get to Dromund," Mission said was if it were obvious. "It's a planet filled with Sith, right? Hundreds of them, maybe thousands. Even with Revan on our team, we'll have a tough time taking them all down."

This was a question that raced around her mind for a long time. With no army at their disposal, it would be up to them to finish this but the feeling of fighting an entire planet alone gave her chills.

"I was once a general," Meetra responded. "During the wars, I personally led an army into battles against the mandalorians. Many died, both from the enemy and my own actions. Not a day goes by where I don't look back. I've let go of my past and accepted what happened, but that doesn't mean I want history to repeat itself."

Mission knew Meetra was a Jedi, but she had never asked about the mandalorian wars. "I don't blame you for thinking that. I'm sorry I brought it up."

"It's okay," Meetra reassured, raising a smile as she beckoned for Mission to cease. "I think we're done for now. Good job, I'll call you when we're ready for more training."

Without another word, Mission nodded and proceeded elsewhere, leaving Meetra alone in the garage. With the place to herself, she sat down with her legs crossed and begun to meditate. The mention of the battle had caused her worry, requiring her to focus and clear her thoughts.

* * *

Taking a break from training for a small while, Meetra took to the cockpit to speak with Carth. In would not be long until they were at their destination, and needless to say, she did not have a plan. Going to a planet filled with Sith was practically suicide without a plan.

Carth flew the ship solo, though there was not much he could do in hyperspace. Atton was not present, spending some time playing pazaak with Mission.

Upon arriving, Meetra did not hesitate to cut straight to the point. "Hey Carth, got a minute?"

"Anything," Carth replied, twisting his chair so they were face to face. "What's up?"

Meetra took a seat before explaining. "Carth, I need your help. Where we're going is dangerous and as much as I want to avoid it, we need back up. We're going to have to go to war."

Needless to say, Carth did not expect this. With a small eyebrow raised, he asked: "Let me get this straight: you want me to call the Republic feet?"

Hesitantly, Meetra nodded. "Yes. I know it's a big thing to ask, and I would never do this unless there was no other option left. Carth, I'm terrified. When I was facing against Jit in the tournament, for the first time in a long time, I felt fear. It wasn't for my own life, but for the safety of my team. At Dromund Kaas, I can't afford to be worrying myself to keep everyone safe. We need an army. We need to put an end to this, once and for all. Will you help me?"

With a small sigh, Carth leaned back in his chair, arms crossed with his mind focused. "It's a lot to ask, but I understand where you're coming from. I did the same when we confronted Malak on the Star Forge. But even if I gather a whole fleet, it may not be enough. After Telos, we're still pretty scattered."

Meetra took a moment to think of an alternative solution. That's when it came to her. "Let's say if I were to gather the Republic more reinforcements for another source, would that help?"

"It's...Possible," Carth admitted. "But who do you have in mind-Wait. Don't say anything, I know exactly who you're referring to. Will he help?"

"He will," Meetra assured. "I'll go and talk to him now. Is that a yes?"

Though a small part of his mind said different, Carth nodded. "I'll get into contact with an old friend of mine. I'll let you know the second we have confirmation."

"Thank you, Carth," Meetra said gratefully.

As soon as she left, Carth made haste on fulfilling her request. Entering a sequence code into the communications, he received an answer a few seconds later from an old friend.

" _This is Admiral Forn Dodonna of the Republic Navy. Who am I addressing?_ "

"Admiral Dodonna," Carth greeted his old friend. "This is Admiral Onasi."

Though he could not see her, he could already hear the excited in her voice. " _Carth! It has been a long time since we spoken. I trust you didn't call for a social chat?_ "

"Only if the circumstances were different," Carth admitted. "Allow me to explain the situation…"

* * *

Shortly after leaving the cockpit, Meetra made hard work on locating a certain mandalorian. She approached Juhani, who was reading from a holopad inside the storage compartment. "Juhani, sorry to disturb you, but have you seen Canderous?"

The mere mention caused her to grunt, but answered nevertheless. "I believe he is with Bao-Dur in the garage."

"Thanks," Meetra turned and made her way towards said garage.

Upon arriving, Meetra did not expect to see two of her crew who practically hated each other having a civil conversation. Bao-Dur had finished making some adjustments to Canderous blaster.

"That's everything," Bao-Dur declared as he handed Canderous his weapon. "You should be able to shoot double the firing rate, thirty percent more range and carry a little more ammo."

Canderous observed his rifle, satisfied with the upgrades. "Impressive. You're not bad, Zabrak. I owe you a thanks."

Bao-Dur did not reply, but did nod as a gesture of thanks. Without another word, he turned and made his way out of the garage. "General," he greeted as he passed Meetra.

Meetra entered the garage to speak with the mandalorian. "Canderous, I need a little favour from you."

"I don't exactly do gestures unless there's money involved," Canderous responded.

Not surprised he would respond like this, Meetra crossed her arms with another offer in mind. "Not even if it's a chance for Clan Ordo to restore it's lost honour and get the chance to fight in a war?"

Beneath his helmet, Canderous eyes lit up as he raised his head to face her. "I'm listening."

* * *

Requesting help from both Republic and mandalorian soldiers was a difficult task, one that Meetra had to practically force herself to do. She never wanted to fight in another war again but after everything that happened, everything she had been through, there was no such thing as peace.

She stood in the center ship with Carth as they addressed Admiral Dodonna along with Bralor from Clan Ordo. Both sides were intentionally concerned about working together, but with a common enemy in mind and benefits to both teams, negotiations were going well.

" _You must understand Carth that our army was not as big as it once was,_ " Dodonna warned via transmission. " _Even with the mandalorians on our side, this is going to be a tough fight._ "

Bralor couldn't avoid a chuckle of amusement from his side. " _Republic don't fight for glory, no doubt._ "

"I understand that, Admiral," Carth acknowledged. "But if everything Bastila and Meetra told us is true, we'll need every hand we can get."

Meetra took her cue to speak. "It will only be a matter of time before the Sith strike first. We should attack now, while we have to the element of the surprise. Can I trust both sides to work for each other?"

Bralor responded with a small gruff. " _Mandalorians are warriors of honour. We'll stick to our agreement, Jedi._ "

There was a brief pause from Dodonna until she gave her own answer. " _We will be ready to fight, Master Jedi._ "

Meetra nodded in acknowledgement. "Excellent. We will contact you again when we arrive at Dromund. Meeting adjured."

The transmissions from both sides ended, confirming their new joined up team. The time to fight was soon and now it was down to the Republic and mandalorians to get their fleets ready for battle.

"What's our status?" Meetra asked Atton who had stood nearby.

"We got about four days until we get to the planet," Atton answered. "Maybe three so long as we don't need to devise our course."

Mical was the next to speak up. "I believe we should use this time to prepare ourselves for the battle ahead. I don't imagine the Sith are feeling rather generous."

"Agreed," Meetra nodded. "Let's get as much training as we can."

Those who were trained in the Force regrouped in the cargo hold with the exception of Handmaiden who had retreated to the women's dormitory to practise alone. Everyone fought free for all as their lightsabers clashed, attempting to defeat the other.

Meetra countered a strike from Atton before ducking to avoid a swipe from Mical. Nearby, Visas remained on the defensive against Juhani. The cathar narrowly ducked to avoid an attack from Bao-Dur. Though they were a team, there was going to be a times where they would fight multiple opponents at once, therefore they needed to practise now.

Their training continued for hours, only taking small breaks to catch their breath. Everyone fought on equal grounds, their fighting drastically improved since they had first learned how to wield the Force.

It was not long until Meetra ceased training, panting while doing so. The others followed suite, exhausted from the amount of training they had endured. Once everyone gathered their energy, Meetra took this time to speak with them on their progress.

"Excellent," Meetra highly praised. "You've all come a long way since tapping into your hidden potential. I'm proud of all of you. If we keep this up, the Sith won't stand a chance against our teamwork."

"We'll be ready," Atton said confidently, raising his lightsaber. "I'm up for another round, anytime."

The others prepared to continue training before a new presence broke them from their thoughts. They shifted their attention towards the cargo hold exit as footsteps echoed through the hallway, getting closer and closer by the second.

The Handmaiden emerged into the room, though they failed to recognize her at first. She now donned a pair of grey Jedi robes along with a double-bladed lightsaber wielded in one hand. The others stopped what they are doing, turning their attention towards the newly Handmaiden.

She stepped forward, addressing all of members before her. "From this moment forward, I am no longer the last of the handmaidens. I am Brianna, daughter of Arren Kae."

* * *

 **And that brings us to the end. Now I admit, some of this was a bit pointless in terms of filler, but honestly, I wasn't doing it just for the sake of story length. I wanted the story to have small comedy with the murder investigation scene, callbacks to Kotor 1 with Admiral Dodonna and so forth. Anyway, I will see you guys and gals on 10/02/2018. Stay tuned.**


	21. Chapter 21: Dromund Kaas

**Knights of the Old Republic 3: The Final Chapters**

 **Chapter 21: Dromund Kaas**

 **Hello everyone, I'm back with chapter 21 as promised. At last, we have reached the point I'm sure everyone was so eager to see. Enjoy and don't forget to review. Can't improve without knowing mistakes.**

* * *

Days passed. The crew of the Ebon Hawk growing more uneasy by the hour. Soon they would finally arrive at Dromund Kaas, the apparent location of Revan and worse, the true Sith main world.

Meetra called forth one final meeting in the center of the hawk. "Everyone. In ten minutes, we'll be arriving at Dromund Kaas. I'm not going to sugar-coat it, it's going to be dangerous. We'll be heavily outnumbered. The Sith may have numbers, but we have something they do not: loyalty. They betray each other any chance possible. When we land, everyone stay close and do NOT go wondering no matter what. Disobey me and you'll be locked on the ship. Questions?"

Canderous raised his hand. "My people are standing by. When do they move in?"

"The second we're clear, I'll give the signal," Meetra instructed, observing the hesitant looks some of her team gave. "I know this isn't something anyone improves of, myself included, but this has to end here. The Sith have destroyed countless lives, too many to count. This has to end now."

Carth was the first to speak up. "We understand. We won't let another world get destroyed."

"Agreed," Mission said. "Taris was my home until the Sith destroyed it. We'll stop them."

The intercom broke everyone from their conversation, Atton's voice ringing out all over the ship. " _We're almost at Dromund Kaas. Pack your blasters, grab your grenades and shoot first, ask questions later._ "

"Roger that," Carth responded as he entered a code into the table. "Admiral Dodonna, do you copy?"

His old friend appeared via a hologram a few seconds later. " _We copy, Admiral Onasi. The Republic has rendezvous with the mandalorian fleet. We await for your signal. Are you certain this team-up is wise?_ "

Before Carth could respond, Canderous stepped forward to defend her statement against his kind. "I am Mandalore, leader of the Clan Ordo. My warriors are strong-willed and loyal to the end. If you feel scared, that's too bad. Like it or not, we're working together."

Dodonna raised an eyebrow, but nodded in agreement. " _Very well. We have another transmission coming in. Putting in though now._ "

A second hologram appeared where a mandalorian dressed in yellow armor appeared. " _Mandalore, we are in position and awaiting battle. It will be good to taste some blood._ "

"Have some patience, Bralor," Canderous assured, secretly hiding a smirk under his helmet. "You will get your thrill for battle soon enough. Await further instructions from Surik."

With no further instructions to relay, both soldiers ended their transmission, sitting tight until it was time to attack.

More to say on the matter, Meetra continued. "This is the plan: once we land, only a couple of us are going in first to avoid attracting attention. Once we scout the area, the rest of us will gather and attack. Everyone, strap yourselves in. It's time."

The Ebon Hawk entered the atmosphere and slowly descended towards the ground. Dromund Kaas was not exactly a pleasant eye to view. The whole sky was filled with electricity, lighting sparking in every direction. Most of the planet was covered in jungles and swamps. Amongst all that was a city deep in the center, no doubt the Sith's stronghold.

Slowly, the ship landed in an open area big enough for the Hawk to land in while also a good distance away from the city. The second they landed, everyone gathered their things and prepared to make haste.

"Atton, Visas and I will scout ahead for a better view," Meetra announced. "The rest of you STAY here. Keep your comlinks open. We'll be back before long."

There were no protests as the three exited the Ebon Hawk, stepping outside their comfort zone into the Sith world. With a small step on the ground, Meetra felt a wave of negative energy hit her in face, almost causing her to step back in shock.

"This feeling…" Meetra whispered. "I've sensed the dark side before, but this...It's presence is stronger than one I've ever felt before."

"The dark side has a strong influence of this world," Visas added. "We must not allow it's presne to gain leverage over us."

"Agreed," Meetra nodded. "Come, let's get going."

* * *

He couldn't remember the last time he felt a glimpse of hope. Then again, being locked away for five years with constant torture and drugs would drive anyone insane. Since his capture, he remained hopeful that one day someone would come. That was a long time ago. No one was coming.

That was until he felt something, a small sense he had not recognized for a long time. It was barely detectable, yet it felt strong. Was his mind playing tricks on him or had help finally arrived?

"Awake now, I see?"

He looked up, a mixture of hatred and regret took over as his captor marched in. Darth Nyriss, the Sith he was forced to see every day since his capture.

"You." he growled with exhaustion.

"Welcome back," Nyriss greeted, a grin raising across her mouth. "Revan. I trust you are ready to talk now?"

Pain left him exhausted, battered, broken and on the verge of passing yet. Despite all this traits, Revan remained strong and faced his captor with confidence. "I...I...I have nothing to say to you, Sith."

Nyriss sighed as she raised one hand. "You never learn. Very well. Time for another lesson."

Without hesitation, Nyriss unleashed a ball of force lightning, engulfing Revan as he collpaosed, great agony palazed him while he cried out with roars of pain. This was a punishment he was forced to endure every day, yet no matter how painful, it never became more tolerable.

After a full minute of torture, Nyriss ceased as Revan collapsed, using his knees and hands just to keep himself up. As smoke emitted from his body, he leaned his head up to face her. "Is that all you got? My grandmother can cause more damage."

"You may keep up your defiance and your jokes, but know that you will break as they all do," Nyriss warned, placing one foot against Revan's back, forcing him to the ground fully. "I sense the hatred within you, the anger. The taint of the dark side flows within you. Tell me Revan, do you really believe you will leave this place unscathed?"

Though grunting with pain and forced to endure her foot, Revan replied without fear. "I do, and the first thing I plan to do is crush your throat with my own hands."

His response was met with Nyriss lifting him from the ground with the force, followed with slamming him to the ceiling. To conclude, she dropped him back to the ground. "Why are you here, Revan? What purpose called you here?"

His bones felt shattered, yet Revan stood one more time, holding one arm over his torso. "It makes no differences whenever I live or die. The galaxy believes I am dead. With my final days, know I will never bow down to you."

Nyriss could not avoid laughing in amusement. "You are indeed strong, Revan. You may have had the potential to be the strongest of us all. Now look at you: pathetic, weak and broken. I intend to break your will."

With one final barrage of force lighting, Nyriss tortured Revan further until he finally passed out from his injuries. Satisfied until he recovered, Nyriss retreated outside his cell, the electric gate closing behind her. She turned to leave elsewhere, but froze upon hearing a familiar voice.

"I assume you have made no progress?"

Nyriss faced her ally with annoyance. "He is indeed strong. Fear not, for I will push him to his limits as much as I can. As much as it pains me to hold back, I cannot afford to risk killing him. Now go about your duties, Scourge."

Scourge watched as she marched away, crossing his arms with a look of annoyance. "What a fool. She will never break him."

* * *

Scouting this planet without gaining attention was quite difficult for the team of three. Sticking to the woods, they proceeded slowly, keeping their guard up at every possible second. By now, they had entered a cave. The darkness within forced them to use their lightsabers as torches.

"This place is giving me the creeps," Atton admitted as they continued their journey. "If anything comes out of the dark, I'm done."

"This world is...Difficult," Visas spoke up. "This is no place for Jedi."

"No offensive, but would you stop narrating everything?" Atton requested, growing annoyed with her constant 'words of wisdom'. "I feel like I'm watching some cheap documantary."

Before Visas could respond, Meetra held up her hand, signalling them to stop. The three came to a halt in the middle of cave, acting as the light in the darkness. There was a moment of tension as Meetra remained still, her lightsaber raised.

Atton remained just as careful, his instincts telling him something was wrong. "I have a bad feeling about this."

With swift speed, she raised her weapon and deflected a blaster bolt aimed at her head. From multiple directions, blaster fire shot their way, forcing the three force wilders on the defensive. Through the shadows, each shot fired brightened up the cave for a brief second, revealing their attacks as no other than Sith soldiers.

Standing their guard, they proceeded to deflect the blaster bolts back towards their enemies until finally, the fire ceased. Through the little light they had, they confirmed their victory against the Sith soldiers.

"We were lucky they weren't dark Jedi," Atton admitted. "Better hope we didn't trigger an alarm."

"Impressive work, Jedi."

Startled, the three swiftly spun, lightsabers ignited as a new face joined them in the cave. Emerging from the darkness, they watched as a Sith species approached them, donning a black robe. As he stepped into the light, he removed his hood, revealing a red face with small tentacles hanging from his face.

"Identity yourself," Visas demanded, her lightsaber held firm in hand. "For you are outmatched."

Scourge chuckled as he took one final step to see all three of them. "Be at ease. I know you are here to rescue Revan, Meetra Surik. Tell Atton and Visas to stand down."

Atton raised an eyebrow in confusion as he used his free hand to aim his blaster. "How do you-"

"It's okay," Meetra assured as she gently pushed his weapon down. Facing the new face, she took a few steps forward, standing only a few feet away from him. "I'm impressed you figured all that out. For a Sith."

"As much as I would enjoy bathing in the credit, I did not," Scourge admitted. "Revan told me someone was coming for him. He is my prisoner."

"Then I order you to set him free," Meetra requested, her hand held firm o her lightsaber. "I suggest you choose your answer very carefully."

"As much as I would like to, it is impossible," Scourge admitted. "There is a whole army surrounding the city, not to mention an entire fleet resting on Dromund Ixin. We would be slaughtered in seconds."

His information was valuable, but not good enough for Meetra to trust. "Who exactly are you and why are you telling me all this?"

"I am Lord Scourge," he introduced. "I am Revan's prison guard and high ranking member of the new Sith order. I spoke with Revan, he told me of a vision. In this vision, six of us working together against a common foe: the emperor, Lord Vitiate. He is planning an attack against the Republic and any remaining Jedi, wiping them permanently from the galaxy. Revan seeks to stop him and I intend to help."

Growing some courage, Atton stepped forward into their conversation. "Hang on a minute, you're a Sith. You're planning to overthrow your own emperor?"

"Good point," Meetra agreed. "Care to explain?"

"The emperor is a fool," Scourge admitted without hesitation. "He will lead us into conflict that will lead to our extinction. I intend to prevent that."

As he finished, Visas stepped forward with more questions. "You speak of an alliance with Revan, yet you have him as your captive for many years."

"I was unaware of his purpose out here," Scourge answered, but now he was growing tired of this interrogation. "Listen to me. Have you heard of Nathema? That was the emperor's home world. He gave himself power through rituals, devouring the entire planet. He is insane, twisted and a fool. I took an oath to stop him one day."

His words appeared true, but Meetra still had doubts. "What assurance do I have that all this isn't a trap?"

"You tell me," Scourge countered. "You Jedi sense emotions. What do you feel?"

For a brief moment, Meetra closed her eyes and reached out through the force. To her surprise, she did not detect any deception, but rather a peaceful mind. "You seem...Calm."

"Because what I tell you is the truth," Scourge explained. "Now listen to me, Revan remains safe for now, but I cannot free him on my own. I need your help."

Meetra needed to decide. They had an entire army at their disposes ready to go, yet this was a chance they could get inside quicker with the element of surprise. With a hesitant sigh, she accepted his offer. "Very well, I will help. But if you even think about-"

"Save your threats to the emperor," Scourge interrupted, though he was quite calm about it. "To defeat him, the dark council and others, we will need perfect teamwork."

Atton leaned over to whisper into her ear. "Meetra, I don't know about this. I got a bad feeling and you know we always get into trouble when we do."

"It will be fine, Atton," Meetra reassured. "Scourge. You will accompany us back to our ship where we will discuss our plan."

"As you wish," Scourge agreed, though he did not have much say in the matter. "Lead on, Jedi."

* * *

Upon returning to the ship, everyone was not happy when Meetra returned with a new guest, a Sith to make matters worse. As they gathered in the center of the ship, everyone had their eyes locked upon Scourge in fear he would try something.

"Everyone, I know this is unusual, but this may the opening we were looking for," Meetra tried to calm everyone's worries. "It will be fine."

Her words did nothing to calm them. Everyone's hands were on their weapons, preparing to strike with incredible speed. Even a trained Sith would be no match for everyone present.

"I understand your concerns," Scourge assured, one hand moving to his lightsaber. In lighting speed, everyone had their weapons pointed as he lifted the hilt. "If it makes you feel better, here."

Hoping to build trust (or at the very least, calm them) Scourge tossed his lightsaber to Meetra, who caught it with ease.

"Happy now?" Scourge questioned as they lowered their weapons.

"We don't have time for this," Mission told everyone, gathering their attention. "Let's just hear him out. Revan was a dark lord once, and now we're here to save him."

While some had doubts, Mission had brought up a fair point. Remaining on their guard, the group relaxed as Scourge briefed them. A hologram of Dodonna and Bralor joined them from the briefing.

"Revan is being held in the sub level of the citadel," Scourge begun. "It is the center of the city and where the emperor resides. Revan is under the watchful eye of Darth Nyriss, a member of the dark council. She is very dangerous. Even if all of us fought together, Nyriss' army would destroy us in seconds. These are not just soldiers, they are trained strong in the dark side of the force, taught to show no mercy or hesitation. This is where you come into play, Meetra."

Now it was time for finish planing their attack. Meetra stepped forward, all eyes drawn towards her. "We can't defeat the army, but we can lure them. This is my plan: pay attention to the hologram. This is Dromund Kaas and this is Dromund Ixin. According to Scourge's intel, they have an entire fleet at standby at Ixin."

"At least forty cruisers, each holding twenty star fighters," Scourge added for more detail. "More fighters are positioned on the planet as well. They will be there in less than a minute."

Meetra continued as she made gestures to the hologram of the planet. "Then Dodonna and the Republic fleet will attack from the left side. The fleet will arrive and engage them expecting an attack. But what they don't know is the mandalorians are fighting alongside. Once the Sith are focused on fighting the Republic, Bralor and the mandalorians will join the fight from the right. The Sith will be surprised and no doubt they will call for more soldiers from the planet to join the fight from below."

Once she took a break to allow the others to study their plan, Bralor was the first to speak. " _Strategic plan, Jedi. No doubt comes from experience._ "

" _Your plan is brilliant, Master Jedi,_ " Dodonna agreed, but required further detail. " _However even if all attention is focused on us, the Sith will not be foolish enough to leave the citadel unguarded._ "

"That's where we come in, Admiral," Carth spoke up. Changing the hologram in the form of the citadel, he continued with the plan. "With lesser forces, the citadel will be weaker, but still strong enough to keep all of us out. Most of us are going to attack from the front of the city. With attack from both the ground and the air, the Sith won't expect a sneak attack as well. That's when Meetra steps in."

To conclude the plan, Meetra finished with the description. "Scourge and I will take a couple of us to sneak in through unguarded areas. We will rescue Revan, defeat Nyriss, the council and then we will take down the emperor. Once we're in the clear, we have to bombardment the fleet and the planet. No Sith can leave her alive."

This seemed like a solid plan, except for one flaw: Scourge.

"And what about him?" Atton inquired unsubtle.

"I understand the true evil of the Sith now," Scourge assured the group. "It is a fate I never want to experience again. Once this is over, I will surrender myself to you, Jedi in hopes of redemption. If Revan can be redeemed, so can I."

His answer was suspicious, but no force wielder present sensed any deception from him. Satisfied, they turned to Meetra for their next move.

"Everyone, this fight is going to be tough and I'm afraid there will be heavy losses," Meetra confessed. "On both sides."

No one would deny their fear, but their will to finish this once and for all broke through their worries.

" _If it means ending this once and for all, it is a sacrifice we will make,_ " Dodonna assured.

" _We live for the glory of battle,_ " Bralor added. " _It will be an honour participate in the battle that destroys the Sith._ "

"We're with you, Meetra," Carth said speaking for the crew. "To the end. Let's put an end to this."

Meetra nodded, her eyes focused towards her team, her friends who remained loyal to her no matter what. They travelled here under their own will, risking their very lives to protect the galaxy. A former Jedi, a scoundrel, a mechanic, a admiral, a mandalore, a handmaiden, a miraluka, a cathar, a twi'leks, droids, soldiers and a Sith for that matter, fighting together one final time.

Without another words, she gave the order: "Admiral Dodonna. Begin your attack."

* * *

"At once, Master Jedi," Dodonna nodded as she turned to her crew. "All Republic cruisers, jump to the coordinates that have been set"

Together as one, the Republic ships made a quick jump into hyperspace from their resting position. Reaching Dromund in a matter of seconds, the fleet stayed in formation as they prepared to defend themselves against the incoming fleet.

"We are in position," Dodonna informed.

A warning signal emitted from a control panel of a crew member's map. "Admiral! We have incoming ships coming from the North West!"

A second officer spoke up. "Five more coming from North East!

In a matter of seconds, the Sith fleet appeared from hyperspace, heading directly towards them. Unwillingly to give the Sith any breathing space, Dodonna gave the order: "All Republic ships, engage!"

The fleets from both sides engaged, huge cannon fire spreading through space like fireworks. The battle had begun in space. To the Republic's surprise, the Sith's cruisers were far more advanced than they had predicated. It was clear from the start they were outmatched.

In only a couple of moments, the Republic had already lost one of their cruisers, watching as it drifted through the battle before exploding, spreading debris in separate directions. Realizing it wouldn't be long until they were overwhelmed.

Dodonna watched the battle unfold before them as she opened the transmission to their hidden allies. "Mandalorian fleet! Begin your attack."

In a matter of seconds, the familiar mandalorian ships emerged from hyperspace, positioning themselves alongside their new allies. Without hesitation, the ships joined in the battle, focusing all fire power on the fleet.

Within the flagship, Bralor stood at the front of the bridge, watching as the glory of battle unfolded, filling his desires with satisfaction. He raised in fist in triumph, releasing a war cry. "For MANDALORE!"

* * *

From the planet surface, the crew of the Ebon Hawk stood outside, watching the blaster fire above travelling through multiple directions. Even from this distance amongst the darkness, the battle could be seen clear as day.

"It looks like Dodonna and Bralor have done their part," Carth stated as he turned his attention towards the citadel, watching as the armies below scattered throughout the city. "We got company."

Meetra stepped forward in front of the others, addressing her team one final time. "This is it. This is everything we've fought to get to, every step has been towards this moment. Today we bring an end to the Sith order, restore order to the galaxy."

Her small speech with met with positive feedback.

Canderous was the first to step forward. "What is it you need us to do?"

Meetra inhaled a deep breath, hesitating to tell them their roles in this battle to come. "Atton, Visas, Scourge, T3 and I will sneak in and save Revan. We'll make our way back and fly away, then allow the fleet to finish the job off. As for the rest of you, what I am about to ask is dangerous. I need you all to hold the position outside the citadel and divert all attention for the guards. Your numbers will give the impression that you are the main force attacking. I'm sorry to ask this of you all."

There was a brief silence from the team, driving Meetra's nerves on the edge. Carth was the first to step forward, standing tall towards the former exile. "We followed you every step of the way and we don't intend to abandon you now. We owe you a great debt for everything you done for us and I think it's time for us to repay the favour. Right guys?"

Mission joined him in agreement. "We're with you to the end."

Juhani, Bao-Dur, Canderous and HK-47 were the next to speak up.

"We will not fail you."

"We're with you, general."

"It will be an honour."

"Agreement: yes master."

Meetra had to avoid raising her smile as she and Carth shook hands firmly. "Thank you. You better look after yourselves."

"The same goes for you, too," Carth agreed. "Now get going and bring Revan home."

Without another word, Meetra turned and ran elsewhere, accompanied with Scourge, Atton, Visas and T3. Their small team disappeared out of sight before long, leaving the remaining crew to get ready to fight. Needless to say, none of them were looking forward to fighting, but there was no turning back.

The remaining team stepped forward towards the road that took them towards the citadel. Armies of Sith poured through the streets like ants, their attention focused on the Ebon Hawk team. Dark Jedi mixed with Sith soldiers charged towards them, their weapons at the ready. The time to fight was now. Carth, Canderous, HK and Mission took up positions with their blasters. Bao-Dur, Brianna, Mical and Juhani ignited their lightsabers and stood at the front, preparing to fight the endless waves of enemies coming towards them.

Juhani stepped forward, her lightsaber raised above her head as she stood fearlessly towards their enemies. "For the REPUBLIC!"

* * *

 **That concludes this chapter, ladies and gentlemen. The battle against Dromund Kass has begun, the final battle between good and evil will commence. Stay tuned for the next chapter coming as soon as possible. If you have any questions, ask them in reviews and I'll answer them next chapter.**


	22. Chapter 22: Rescue

**Knights of the Old Republic 3: The Final Chapters**

 **Chapter 22: Rescue**

 **Hiya** **, back with chapter 22. For those who still keep up to date with Rebels, been watching the new season? The series is amazing and it will be the final episode tonight. Been a heck of a journey. Speaking of journeys, here we are with chapter 22. Enjoy.**

* * *

With the Sith's attention distracted towards the armies outside, Meetra and Scourge made haste to get inside before anyone noticed them, leading their small team consisting of Atton, Visas and T3. Upon entering the citadel, everyone was relieved to see no guards patrolling the area. No doubt they were occupied with the ground and air forces.

The group entered the elevator that would take them down to the cell's Revan was being held.

"There is something I should have mentioned," Scourge admitted. "Even with their forces occupied, no doubt Nyriss has not left her post. There is a strong chance she will be guarding the cell."

Meetra was unfazed by this news, remaining calm throughout this ordeal. "Nyriss may be powerful, but we can defeat her if we fight together. There are four of us who are trained in the force."

"Even so, be on your guard," Scourge warned. "This will not be easy."

Before long, the elevator came to an end as they reached the sub level. The group exited as Scourge escorted them towards Revan's cell. Alarms were blazing around the area, no doubt as a warning for all troops to be on their guard. All was going too well, that was until a lone guard approached them.

"Welcome back, Lord Scourge. Darth Nyriss was inquiring to your whereabouts," he greeted as he narrowed his attention towards unfamiliar faces. "Who are they, my lord?"

Thinking fast on his feet, Scourge made up details, speaking firmly and confident. "I caught this small team attempting to sneak in. I am taking them to the prison wing."

The guard fell for this ruse easily. "Congratulations on your capture, my lord. I will inform Darth Nyriss of the news."

"That is unnecessary, soldier," Scourge quickly assured. "I will speak with her myself as soon as I have them locked away."

There was a small hesitancy within the solder as he narrowed his eyes towards the team, completely oblivious to the fact they were holding weapons. With a small nod, he turned around and retreated.

"That was a close one," Scourge said. "Quickly now before we encounter more."

"We could have shot him," Atton suggested casually.

"And risk alerting the entire building to our presence?" Scourge corrected, his words caused Atton to be silent as he had no comeback. "Nonsense. Quickly, let us pick up the pace."

* * *

The ground forces outside the citadel fought bravely as Sith after Sith advanced towards them. Each member contributed in taking out their enemies, but it was clear from the start they were heavily outnumbered.

Juhani shoved her knee into a dark Jedi before spinning and impaling her lightsaber through his abdomen. She did not get a chance to catch her breath as more enemies attacked her.

"ARGH!" Canderous yelled as he whacked his repeater into a soldier's face, knocking him off balance before he proceeded to execute him with a shot to the head.

"More on the way!" Mission warned through gunfire and lightsaber clashing. She raised her rifle and shot a soldier that attempted to attack Carth from the side.

Bao-Dur stepped forward towards two dark Jedi advanced towards him. One of them took a swing towards him to which he countered with a block before whacking his hilt into his face, stunning him long enough for the Zabrak to slash him across his throat.

The second attacked as they clashed blades, trying to gain leverage other the other. He released one hand over his weapon and attempted to strike Bao-Dur, only to be countered when technican had gripped his hand within his robotic arm, crushing it long enough for the dark Jedi to lose focus, breaking his guard and allowing Bao-Dur to decapitate him.

Nearby, HK-47 was having the time of his life, blasting any soldiers that came his way with ease. One unfortunate dark Jedi underestimated his abilities and attempted to strike him, only for the assassin droid to catch his wrist within his robitic grip.

The dark Jedi struggled, attempting to pull his wrist free. "Release me, droid!"

"Suggestion: I prefer you it if you would lighten up a little," HK-47 hissed. With his abilities, he released his flamethrower, burning the unfortunate Sith to an agonising death. HK stood over his corpse, casually tapping his foot against him. "Meatbag."

* * *

The alarms echoing across the building made it difficult to get around, especially with the risk of lock down if they suspecting any intruders within. With effort, the team finally made it to the prison block.

As they entered, Scourge made quick haste to lock the door behind them. "This is it. In the end cell is Revan. Be cautious."

Keeping on their guard, the team made haste to get to end to avoid any traps. As they moved closer with every step, Meetra grew unnerved. Not from the threat of the Sith, but from seeing Revan again. It had been a long time since she saw her old friend, ten years too long.

It was a scary thought racing around her mind. Not only may he have changed over the years, but who knows what the Sith had done to him here? This place could drive anyone insane, even those who are strong within the force.

"I sense your concern," Scourge noted, breaking her from her thoughts. "I assure you Revan is fine. His body has taken much injury, but his mind and spirit remains as strong as ever."

"I hope so," Meetra admitted hesitantly. "For your sake, anyway."

Finally, they reached the end of the cell. While the rest of the team kept watch, Scourge deactivated the cell. Slowly, Meetra stepped forward to see her old friend leaning against the corner of the room, one head buried underneath his arm. He seemed unaware of their presence.

"Revan?" Meetra called out quietly, slowly approaching him.

Gently, Revan raised his own head, his eyes lighting up as she came into clear view. At first, he thought it was his mind playing tricks on him, but this was certainly no illusion. "Meetra?"

Barely containing her joy, Meetra approached him further, standing only two feet away. "I knew I would find you. I never gave up hope you were alive."

Mustering his strength, Revan stood on his feet, gazing towards his old friend with a mixture of shock and happiness. Without another word, Meetra stepped forward and placed both arms around Revan, embracing him. Though shock still left him speechless, Revan returned the gesture, enjoying the feeling of warmth he had forgot after so long.

The others watched without saying a single word. Atton felt a small sense of jealousy within him at first, but as long as Meetra was happy, he would not complain.

It took a whole moment before they broke from their hug. Curiously, Revan loomed over towards their guests. "Scourge? T3? Wait, who are these two?"

"A touching reunion," Scourge said with a hint of sarcasm.

Revan opened his mouth to protest, preparing to step forward and strike until Meetra caught him. "It's okay, Revan, he's fighting with us."

"I hate to spoil the mood, but we must leave while we have the advantage," Scourge suggested quickly. "If Nyriss finds us, we are going to be in trouble. Come on."

Revan took one step until a familiar sense of pain halted him in his steps. Clutching one arm over his side, Revan leaned against a wall as Meetra remained concerned. "I'll be fine. I just need a minute."

To aid in his recover, Scourge approached and without warning, injected a small amount of liquid into Revan's neck. "This will recover all of your strength. However, it will take a couple of minutes to kick in."

With little time to prepare, Meetra dug into the backpack Atton was holding and retrieved a familiar item, offering it to Revan. "We met up with Bastila before we arrived. She wanted me to give you two things: this is one of them."

Revan observed the object closely: his mask, the one he had wore in the mandalorian wars many years ago. He had not seen this thing since Malak had betrayed him. He was oblivious Bastila had kept it in their home for so long.

"My mask…" Revan sighed, accepting the item he once cherished in his former identity.

"I don't fully understand why Bastila wanted me to give you this now," Meetra admitted.

"I believe this mask was hidden to prevent my dark past from catching up," Revan assumed as he studied his old item. "But after Malak, maybe Bastila realized that this was the key to unlocking all of my old memories. I guess there is only-ARGH!"

Revan collapsed, only one arm over his torso as further pain paralyzed him.

"What's wrong with him?" Atton questioned confused.

"It must be the antidote I gave him," Scourge assumed, watching as Meetra attended to him. "He will be all right. Just give him-"

Their conversation was cut short when T3 had suddenly screeched, making haste to get inside the cell with them. Atton, Visas and Scourge studied the hallway below, watching as a familiar foe to Scourge was heading directly their way. Now they were in trouble.

"Nyriss…" Scourge growled, igniting his red lightsaber to fight.

"That's her?" Atton questioned as he raised his own weapon to fight. "She doesn't look all that powerful."

"Do not allow your eyes to fool you, Atton," Visas warned. Even without her sight, she sensed the danger ahead. "I fear we are no match for her. We must hold our ground here."

Scourge had only seconds before she was on top of them. "All of you, listen to me! We cannot afford to make mistakes around Nyriss. Attack her together, strike hard and do not let her gain any advantage!"

By now, it was too late to run as Nyriss entered the room, halting a few steps in front of them. She was clearly disgusted with the sights before her, boiling inner rage within. "Lord Scourge. I knew this would happen. Your stand with Revan as a mistake, one you will not live to regret."

Scourge merely frowned, taking up a defence form as he frowned.

"And what do we have here? Children with lightsabers?" Nyriss mocked before breaking out with a sinister laughter. "Fools. I am a member of the dark council. Do you expect me to be defeated by a traitor, a fool and a blinded one? None of you will leave here alive!"

With a concentrated stance, Scourge release a roar cry as he charged into battle, the others followed suite. "Now!"

Despite their best efforts, none of them were match for her. Nyriss delivered a back kick that knocked Scourge to the ground. With a small force push, she knocked Atton aside, leaving only Visas left to fight her.

"Tell me, miraluka, how does it feel to be the last of your kind?" Nyriss mocked as their sabers clashed midway. "Do you feel angry? Regretful?"

Visas remained calm and level-headed, not allowing her enemy to get into her mind. "I do not fear you, Sith. It is your kind who will feel regret."

Nyriss chuckled. "Don't be so sure."

With a small push, Nyriss knocked Visas backwards before using her free hand to seize her in a force choke. Unable to break free, Visas was forced to endure the agony crushing her throat as her very breath as taken from her. Before long, Nyriss tossed her into a nearby wall, all opponents defeated.

"Is that all?" Nyriss asked mockingly. "I was expecting more of a challenge."

"And you will get one!"

Nyriss leaped forward to narrowly miss a blue saber strike that would have cut her head off. Turning, she clashed blades with her new foe. "And who might you be?"

"The one who will make you pay for hurting my friends," Meetra responded, slamming her leg against Nyriss side, knocking her off balance.

Before she recovered, Meetra swiped and was able to land a small cut against Nyriss arm, injuring her. The Sith stepped backwards, pain left her briefly stunned. Despite her injury, Nyriss continued fighting as she pushed Meetra on the defensive.

Nyriss raised her free hand and punched Meetra in the torso hard, winding her. She proceeded with a kick to her knee that sent her down, followed with a punch to her face. Defeated, Meetra collapsed. This was like fighting Traya, Sion and Nihilus all together.

"Pathetic!" Nyriss spated. Slowly, she raised both arms and begun charging a powerful force lightning attack, no doubt intending to finish them all off at once. "I am Darth Nyriss, Lord of the Sith, conqueror of Drezzi, the destroyer of Melldia, and a member of the Dark Council! Gaze upon me and see your doom!"

"I don't think so."

As Nyriss launched her force lightning attack, she did not expect to see a familiar foe step in front and catch her attack with his bare hands. Revan, now donning his mask and hood, stood before her. Whatever confidence she had had suddenly dropped.

"He's healed," Nyriss gasped. "I-I-I don't understand. You barely alive! You were weakened! Where did you get this POWER?! WHO ARE YOU!?"

"I am Revan reborn! From this day forward, the galaxy will no longer fear the Sith!" Revan shouted, summoning a great amount of power he had not felt in a long time. With a strong push, he slammed Nyriss own attack against her, watching in satisfaction as she collapsed, withered with agony. She had clearly underestimated the amount of power she had placed into her own attack.

As the lighting ceased, Revan stood over the woman who had tormented every day for five years. "I told you what would happen, Sith."

At the former dark lord's mercy, Nyriss weakly held out one hand. "Please. Mercy."

"Mercy? Mercy?! After everything you have done?!" Revan spat with absolute disgust. "I don't think so. In fact, I believe I have a promise to fulfill."

Recovering from her injury, Meetra watched as Revan leaned down and clutched both of his hands around Nyriss throat, literally choking the life out of her. None of them dared to interfere, understanding the amount of torment this woman had put him though.

"I told you the first thing I was going to do," Revan reminded with a small growl, one that sent chills down Nyriss spine.

Without hesitation, Revan applied more pressure snapped her neck within seconds, watching as her lifeless corpse dropped before his very feet. Turning towards the rest of the team, he helped Meetra stand while Scourge relocked the door.

"Nyriss and I were the only ones who have the codes to this room," Scourge assured as the blast door locked down, cutting off the outside world. "We can use this time to gather our strength."

"Good thinking," Revan praised. He felt like he needed to rest as he fell down against the wall.

Scourge approached a nearby container, entering a code to open it. "Here, this is yours," he said, tossing said object to Revan.

He caught the objective with ease, examining his lightsaber he had constructed during his retraining with the Jedi. He was surprised to see this old thing still existed. With a small amount of time to kill, Meetra sat by Revan to talk while Atton and Visas entered the nearby cell to practise for a few minutes. As for Scourge, he meditated to gather his strength.

"Is is good to see you again," Meetra said out of the blue. "So the mask?"

"Has restored my memories, ALL of them," Revan confirmed, his voice now modulated from the mask's features. "It's been so long. Every day I lost hope someone would come for me. Then I saw you, standing there before me. It's like a dream come true."

Meetra only smiled. "We're friends. I know you would have done the same for me."

"Of course," Revan agreed as a different subject raced around his mind. "You said you spoke to Bastila? How is she?"

"She's well," Meetra assured, skipping out the detail of the pirate situation, knowing he didn't need anymore worry on his mind for the time being. "That reminds me, I said there were two things I needed to give you. The mask was one of them. T3, play the recording for us, please."

The astromech droid rolled over, opening his side to reveal a small projector. A couple of seconds later, two familiar figures appeared as two, blue holograms.

 _"Revan my love. I am unsure if you will one day see this, but I never doubted you would return someday. And I also thought it was best to see how fast your son is growing. Say hello to your father, Vaner."_

 _"H-H-Hello, father,"_

Slowly, Revan placed both hands against his mask and removed it from his face, wanting to see the message with his own eyes.

There was a brief silence until Bastila continued. _"I am sorry you weren't here to agree on a name with me. I want him to understand who you are, i want him to understand you are apart of him."_

 _"Mother talks about you, father. Will you be home soon?"_

Revan remained speechless as the message continued. It had been so long since he last laid eyes on his beautiful Bastila, the love of his life. Now, he had a son as well?

 _"Revan, if you are out there, if you are still alive...Please...Come home…"_ her voice was beginning to break, overwhelmed with emotion. A single tear dropped from her eye as she whispered: _"Goodbye Revan."_

"Bastila…" Revan whispered, his voice almost breaking from emotion. "...I will...See you soon...My love."

At that moment, others returned to get going. Revan, unwilling to let the others see him like this, placed his mask back onto his face, followed with the hood to conceal his identity.

Revan stood, turning towards Meetra with gratitude. "Thank you. For the message and for saving me."

"It was nothing I couldn't handle," Meetra assured, but her old friend thought otherwise.

Revan shook his head. "No, do not feel as if anyone could have done this. Nobody else could have grossed the galaxy and rescued me. I also sense the force is strong with you, but I was told that your connection had been severed. You are far stronger than I last imagined, strong enough to give me a run for my money. You have walked a path that I even I would not dare follow. I owe you, Meetra, for everything, a debt I hope to repay one day."

Meetra raised a small smile. "I thought it would be the other way around. Without your teaching, I would never become the person I am today. It is I who owe you a debt."

In agreement, Revan held out his hand. "Call it even?"

With a small nod, Meetra accepted his hand. "Even."

As they shook hands, Revan could not help but narrow his eyes towards the newer companions. "Friends of yours?"

Meetra nodded. "This is Atton and Visas. There's a lot more of us fighting on the front lines. Your old friends are here too. Mission, Juhani, Canderous, HK and Carth."

"My friends…" Revan mumbled, memories of the past begun flooding into his mind. Quickly, he shook them away. "That's...That's great! And I trust the fight above is from our allies as well?"

"That's right," Meetra confirmed until she got serious. "Revan, we have to get going. As soon as we've out of harm's way, our allies above are going to destroy this world. We need to get going."

As she moved to leave, Revan placed his arm out, shaking his head in disagreement. "I can't do that, Meetra."

"Are you deaf or is that mask clogging your eardrums?" Atton questioned. "This whole planet's gonna be dust."

"We have to stop the emperor," Revan said firmly. "I cannot risk him escaping, we need to finish this right here, right now."

As stubborn as ever, Meetra knew this was going to get difficult. "Revan, think for a moment. We just about held our own against Nyriss! How do you expect us to defeat the emperor? Even with our combined strength?"

"You don't understand," Revan replied. "I came here with Malak many years ago and I saw into the emperor's mind. Hundreds, thousands, millions of lives mean nothing to him. He is insane and would stop at nothing until his plan's succeed."

Scourge took his turn to speak up. "I am afraid he is right. He will destroy world by world, his power growing with each destruction. Nothing will stop him until he is the only being who remains. The dark side is like a disease: spreading and consuming all. His hunger will never suffice."

Meetra crossed her arms, recalling a familiar encounter. "A hunger for the force? This is certainly ringing a bell."

"My former master possessed similar feats," Visas added. "Sith who grieve for power will never stop. Darth Nihilus was insane with power, growing hungry with each passing second. It is responsible for the destruction of Katarr and other worlds. Telos almost suffered a similar fate."

"And what is why he must be stopped now," Scourge ordered. "Before his power far exceeds our own."

Realizing how dire the situation was and no changing either of their minds, Meetra concluded with a plan. "Darth Nihilus attempted to feed on me, but my abilities allowed me to counter his attack and weaken him. It is possible I could do it again with the emperor."

"It could work," Revan half-agreed. "But that's a big risk you would be taking on."

"Nevertheless, we are low on options," Scourge reminded. "Now I have a plan of my own: the emperor does not know of my betrayal, and therefore, I will be able to escort all of you with me as prisoners captured from the battle. But know that we will have to be unarmed. The emperor and his guards are not fools."

Their plans had strategy, but Meetra couldn't shake off her negative thoughts. "I don't think I like this plan."

"It will be fine," Revan assured, patting her on the back to ease her worries. "You guys are in too, right?"

Visas replied first. "Where my master goes, I follow."

Atton shrugged. "If it weren't crazy, it wouldn't be my kind of party. I'm in."

T3 beeped in confirmation as well.

"Very well," Scourge nodded. "It is decided then. Let us prepare for the battle ahead. Gather your energy. It is time to go."

* * *

 **Another chapter concluded, folks. Revan had been rescued and the team prepare to face off against the emperor. Now I understand some of you might be wondering why they would do this instead of just running. As they said in the chapter, they can't take the chance. Adding onto that is Revan's stubbornness as well. If you would like to ask any questions, I will happily answer. Until then, I will see you guys next time.**


	23. Chapter 23: Battle of Dromund Kaas

**Knights of the Old Republic 3: The Final Chapters**

 **Chapter 23: Battle of Dromund Kaas**

 **Hey, hey, I'm back, and as you can see by the title, it is time for the final battle. And to make this chapter feel spectacular, I put a lot more work into this one than usual, with longer words as well. Without any more words to share, please enjoy this experience.**

* * *

Sneaking past security throughout the citadel was an easy feat, allowing the small team to reach the top. Things were going better than expected, but now came the difficult part: Captain Yarri of the Guard. According to information from Scourge, she was a right ranking member of the new Sith order and more importantly, the emperor's personal captain who oversees protection for the throne room. She was no fool to get passed.

The small team exited the elevator to the top floor and slowly stepped out. As part of their plan, everyone had to play their part of prisoners. To act the part, everyone with the exception of Scourge and T3 wore binders. Atton was the least happy, to say the least.

"Why is it everywhere we go, we somehow end up as prisoners?" Atton questioned.

Meetra nudged him with her shoulder before he spilled the beans. "Keep it cool. We're almost there."

With every step, the emperor's throne came closer into view, revealing more guards along the way. There was no way they were getting past them through silent means. The team continued moving slowly until they stood directly a few feet away from the throne room. Fortunately, there was no sign of Yarri, but four of her guards remained posted outside, each giving Scourge a suspicious look. These were not ordinary soldiers. They were trained, armed with powerful weapons and trained to fight against all types of enemies, especially Force wielders.

"Lord Scourge," one of the them greeted carefully. "Why are you here and who are these people?"

"Where is Captain Yarri?" Scourge asked, ignoring the guard's question.

"She is on her way here as we speak," the guard responded, raising his hand to stop him. "And no, you may not enter without the captain's approval."

Scourge softly growled. "I will not be kept waiting by some guard. Now step aside before-"

"What is going on here?"

From the hallway to their left, the familiar face of Yarri emerged, accompanied with two of her elite guards. Under his mask, Revan glared towards her with a look of hatred. This was the very same woman who had tricked himself and Malak all those years ago, deceiving them into loosing their ways. Had it not been for her actions, things would have been different.

"Yarri, your guards are blocking my way," Scourge answered. "I demand an audience with the emperor."

Yarri narrowed her eyes towards Scourge with a distasteful look. "You should watch your tongue, Lord Scourge and know your place."

"I do not take orders from you, _captain_ ," Scourge hissed, placing an emphasis on her title. "Now let me inside."

His threatening tone had not gone unnoticed by the guards. They had slightly raised their weapons, preparing to defend the throne room and their captain.

"This is the citadel and so long as I am captain here, you will follow your orders," Yarri commanded, unfazed by Scourge's threats despite knowing what he was capable of. "Now, who are these people you have bought? You there, in the hood, face me!"

Tension slowly filled the air as they waited for Revan for obey her order. If she caught a glimpse of his mask and remembered from the past, she would come to a realisation that it was no other than Darth Revan standing before her, the former dark lord of the Sith.

There was no response, pushing Yarri to order one of her guards to get his attention. Growing impatient, one of the six guards marched over, grasping one of Revan's arms. "Are you deaf? The captain said-"

Before anyone could react, they watched as Revan whacked his arm directly into the guard's face, knocking him a great distance across the hallway until he hit the wall with a sickening thud, dropping limbless upon impact. If they were on edge now, they certainly were on high alert. Their staff weapons ignited, taking up defence stances.

"Don't. Ever. Touch. Me," Revan growled, his voice full of pure hatred and disgust.

"Assassins!" Yarri warned, swiftly grabbing her own lightsaber while her guards raised their Force pikes.

Realizing the ruse was up, Meetra turned to the astromech droid beside her. "T3!"

T3 opened the top latch of his head, blasting out everyone's respective lightsabers which they caught with ease. Eager to get this over with and avoid waiting time, she did not hesitate to cut down two of the guards, killing them with ease. Atton slashed the third with his lightsaber, stunning him long enough to slice his head from his shoulders.

As for Visas, she calmly avoided one of their attacks before impaling his torso with her own weapon. The final guard moved to attack Revan, only to have his weapon caught within his opponents very grasp. Before he could react, Revan had headbutted him before slamming him to the ground, followed a kick that broke the guard's neck.

Only Scourge and Yarri remained as they fought nearby. Drawing on the hatred he held against her for so long, Scourge used his anger to fuel his dark side power. Yarri was reasonably skilled and held her own well, but it was obvious she was becoming overwhelmed. The training of a warrior was nothing compared to that of a dark side wielder.

With one strong swipe, Scourge broke her defensive before slashing her hip, watching in delight as she fell to her knees. "Now you are the one who will know their place, Yarri."

Though beaten and meeting her final end, Yarri refused to beg, intending to go out fearless. "My only regret is that I will not be there to see your end. You may have won this victory, Scourge, but know that you will meet a slow and painful death by our emperor's hands."

Scourge chuckled in amusement. "I do not think so."

Without hesitation, Scourge brought his weapon down and slashed her throat. Grasping her neck, Yarri felt her life slip her away as she fell to the ground until she remained lifeless. With the guards taken care of, it was time to fulfill their goal: the emperor.

Standing in front of the double doors, Revan inhaled a deep breath as he prepared to confront the monster he should have put an end to a long time ago. This was his penance, to make up for his wrong deeds. Defeating Malak was only the beginning of his atonement. "This is it. This is where it ends."

Pressing his hand against the door button, the room opened to them, revealing a dark yet clear view of the emperor's throne. Slowly, the small team entered with caution, but their attention shifted when Atton warned them of more danger ahead.

"We've got incoming," Atton called, turning with Visas to prepare against reinforcements. "More guards."

Over a dozen guards were charging down the hallways, Force pikes raised to fight. No doubt the lack of silent from Yarri had alerted them to this location.

Visas ignited her own lightsaber, standing with Atton outside the throne room. "Atton and I will defend. You must go on without us."

Meetra opened her mouth to protest, but Atton spoke first. "We'd just get in the way in there. Now go!"

Though hesitant, Meetra trusted them and had faith they would remain safe. As the remaining four entered, the door behind them closed with a seal, preventing anyone from getting in and out. Revan's eyes remained locked on the throne at the end of the room, slowly marching forward.

The remaining three followed suit, growing more anxious with each step as the emperor came closer into view. He sat unguarded in his throne, donning a black cloak while his hands grasped the end of the throne chair. The distance between them did not mask his power, giving the group an impression that this fight was going to be a difficult one.

Revan stepped forward as more of his memories passed through his eyes. He stared down his enemy, hatred and anger fueled his desire to end him. "Vitiate."

Slowly, Vitiate stepped out of his throne to acknowledge the people before him. He had not witnessed the former dark lord in person for a while, but that mask was easily recognised. "I did not expect you to return."

"No," Revan assured. "The old Revan is gone. I will fulfil what he could not: destroy you and end your terror."

Vitiate softly chuckled, amused by his foes threats again. "You are fools to face me, Jedi. I have survived more times than you can comprehend. Unchallenged by any foe I have ever faced. What hope do you four have? Especially you, Scourge. I knew one day you would betray me."

"Forgive me, my lord, but your power has drove you to insanity," Scourge accused. "I have no choice but to help end your terror."

"You think any of you stand a chance? A slave of the Jedi, a fallen exile, a traitor and a droid?" Vitiate questioned each of them, but it was clear from his point of view that none of them had any intention of backing down. With a small sigh, Vitiate raised his hands. "As you wish. Allow me to demonstrate the true power of the dark side."

Preparing to end this quickly, Revan leaped forward, his lightsaber raised above his head. As he moved halfway, a powerful Force push from the emperor sent him flying through the air. He recovered with a back flip as Meetra stepped forward to take his place.

With a small flip, Meetra used her Force speed to get close. With great power she could never have witnessed coming, Vitiate blasted her with ease with a small push, knocking her into a nearby pillar.

Vitiate proceeded to do the same with Scourge, only for his former servant to raise both hands and counter with his own. Their Force locked midway, but the power difference between them gave Scourge no chance of winning like this.

"You truly are a fool, Scourge," Vitiate criticised his efforts to stop him. "Now you will die."

With ease, Vitiate Force pushed him to the ground, slamming with great power. As Scourge fell face down, Vitiate prepared to finish him off with a blast of Force lightning, only to be met by a familiar foe. Revan stood in front, absorbing the blast with his lightsaber.

While distracted with Revan, Meetra threw her lightsaber forward to kill him now. Vitiate was forced to duck to avoid her weapon, allowing Revan to return his own Force lightning, igniting him for a couple of seconds before knocking him backwards.

Attempting to finish him before he recovered, Meetra reclaimed her weapon and slammed her lightsaber directly towards him, missing when Vitiate rolled out of the way. For an elderly men, he moved faster than she ever thought of.

As Meetra threw another strike, Vitiate caught her wrist within his hand, slowly applying pressure until she could no longer hold onto her weapon. She groaned as the bones beneath her wrist begun to crack, no doubt in the process of breaking. Desperate, Meetra raised her free hand and punched him against the face.

In retaliation, Vitiate kicked her in the torso before tossing her away. As she landed, Vitiate proceeded to unleash a barrage of Force lighting. Meetra screamed in agony as he tortured her slowly, unable to block his power with her own.

"Now you understand," Vitiate said as he applied more power. "The true power of the dark side. Do not fear, child. You will be the first to die by my hand in many years."

* * *

The crew of the Ebon Hawk held their ground against the citadel forces, defeating wave after wave of soldiers. However, the Sith were like spider-roaches: no matter how many they killed, more would spawn faster than those NPCs from Mission's video games.

Mical remained surrounded by three dark Jedi as he fought them off with his double-bladed lightsaber, wielding the soresu technique well. Unfortunately, he did receive a small flesh wound upon his shoulder. Keeping calm under pressure, he raised both hands and pushed them away with the repulse technique.

"More coming from the left!" Mission warned. She wielded her vibrosword in one hand, a blaster pistol in the other. She blocked a single strike from a solider, using her second weapon to gun him down.

Juhani raised one hand and used Force stasis to freeze a dark Jedi in his place, allowing Bao-Dur to deliver the killing blow with their combined teamwork. "Meetra and Revan should have been back long ago! I fear something has happened."

"If she was in trouble, they would have contacted us," Brianna explained while relying on her echani to avoid devastating blows. She elbowed a dark Jedi before slashing him across his chest.

"The general will pull through," Bao-Dur reassured before slamming his cybernetic arm into a soldier. taking advantage of his enhanced strength. "We have to hold our ground here until she does."

While distracted, another soldier realized his weapon was useless, throwing down his blaster and tossed a frag grenade directly towards the zabrak. As he noticed the danger ahead, Bao-Dur prepared too late and raised his weapon to block. Before the grenade made contact, a single blaster shot collided with it mid-air, exploding the weapon and saving his life.

"Watch your blind spot," Canderous advised. Raising his repeater blaster, he gunned down a squadron of soldiers charging towards him.

Carth remained on the defensive as he fired both his signature blaster pistols towards any enemy in range. He couldn't avoid a groan of annoyance yet concerned for his allies. "Where are you guys?"

* * *

Still forced to endure such a punishment, Meetra continued to cry out as Vitiate tortured her with his Force lightning. Her flesh was beginning to burn up, smoke emitting from her body and shredding small parts of her clothing. Vitiate smirked as he prepared to finish her, but a sudden great pain distracted him from his thoughts, incredible heat scorching his body.

Relieved the pain had ceased, Meetra raised her head in confusion. That was until she realized her saviour was no other than T3 himself, who had distracted Vitiate with his flamethrower. As he was a droid, Vitiate could not sense him coming.

Vitiate growled as he thrust his hands forward, throwing T3 directly into a wall. "Insolent droid!"

Meetra watched in horror as T3 collided with the wall, pieces breaking from the impact before he collapsed. "T3!"

Under his mask, Revan's eyes widened in shock before his emotions turned into anger. With a roar of anger of his droid's destruction, Revan raised both hands and lifted the emperor up with his very Force power. Using his new found strength, Revan proceeded to slam Vitiate against the ceiling, followed with a strike to the ground.

"You monster!" Revan shouted as he ignited his lightsaber yet again. Charging into battle, he dashed forward with his weapon raised.

Though intentionally caught off guard, Vitiate recovered as he raised one hand and tightened his fist, holding Revan in a Force choke hold. Clutching one hand against his throat, Revan was forced to endure the attack while Vitiate approached him.

With his free hand, Vitiate snatched away Revan's lightsaber, intending to kill him with his own weapon just for the sake of irony. "This is the end for you, Revan."

As his were friends remained unconscious and his breath stolen away, Revan knew that it was down to him. Mustering the his inner strength, he uttered: "I don't think so."

Before Vitiate could react, Revan thrust his arms and legs outwards, creating a powerful Force repulse that sent the emperor flying into a nearby pillar. Revan retrieved his lightsaber as he moved forward to continue his attack. Now, he was more furious than when he entered.

"Do you know what you did to me?" Revan questioned, his tone filled with the upmost of rage. "You made me into a monster! I was forced to kill my best friend because of you!"

"SILENCE!" Vitiate screamed as he Force blasted Revan into a wall. To follow with this, Vitiate proceeded to toss him around the entire room like a ragdoll, slamming him into every object available.

Revan's hatred against him kept him conscious, giving him the will to continue, but it was not enough. Before long, Revan endured all he could before Vitiate slammed him into the ground, finally losing consciousness. With no other foe to oppose him, Vitiate intended to finish them right now, starting with the closest one to him.

Meanwhile, Meetra remained half-conscious from the previous attack, she pushed herself up and recognised the familiar face of the emperor approaching her. Her strength had not recovered enough to continue fighting. The pain she had endured had done more damage than she predicated.

Raising both hands, Vitiate prepared to end her life with his own hands. "You are not worth any final words."

"Get away from her!"

Quickly turning, Vitiate watched as two more intruders entered the room with both their hands raised, releasing a dual Force push from their combined power that knocked Vitiate into his own throne. Swiftly, the two moved to help their friends recover.

"Nice work," Atton praised while his focus was towards Meetra.

"It will not keep him down for long," Visas warned, kneeling down to the injured Scourge as she placed both hands against him. Using her healing technique, she begun to transfer some of her life force to him. "I will help the injured."

Atton knelt down to Meetra, holding her in his arms as she remained barely conscious. "Meetra! Speak to me!"

Her vision remained blurry until the yells of Atton had shook her from dizziness. "Atton."

Taking her hands, Atton gently helped her stand, keeping a hold of her shoulders until he was sure she could stand under her own strength. Noticing her weakened state and charred clothing, his personal feelings begun to get in the way. "That slimy piece of worm-ridden filth."

"I'll be all right," Meetra reassured as she retrieved her weapon. "Let's help the others."

Returning to others, Visas had used her Force healing technique to help Scourge back to his feet. Vitiate was beginning to recover, forcing them to quickly gather their bearings. Despite the powerful attack, the emperor showed no signs of physical damage at all.

Revan was the final to recover, holding one hand against his injured arm. "I'm okay."

Vitiate approached the team, slowly channelling his power to unleash upon them. "You certainly are persistent."

"We stand together against you," Revan said firmly. "You cannot beat us all."

"Oh but I can," Vitiate disagreed. "Come forth! Who will be the first to die?"

Without hesitation, Atton allowed his ego to get the better of him as he charged into battle. He swiped his lightsaber from side to side, missing each strike. As he thrust his weapon forward, his eyes widened in horror as Vitiate caught his wrist.

With a small squeeze, he crushed Atton's wrist in a similar fashion, forcing him to drop his weapon. Vitiate proceeded to knee him in the stomach, followed with a powerful Force push that sent the scoundrel flying across the other side of the room.

Scourge took his turn as he threw his lightsaber forward to which Vitiate calmly ducked to avoid. He grasped Scourge in a choke hold before tossing him elsewhere. In a matter of seconds, he had disposed of two fighters.

Meetra forced herself to stay focus as Atton and Scourge remained lifeless, knowing she couldn't let her guard down for a single second more. "We'll take him together."

The remaining three charged and attacked Vitiate simultaneously, attacking in different directions to throw him off guard. Despite their combined attack, they were unable to land a single blow. He was fast, faster than any of them could imagine. Once he grew tired of toying with them, Vitiate proceeded to blast them away via a Force repulse.

Meetra and Revan caught their footing while Visas was not so fortunate, dropping to the ground in agony. She was no strange to pain, her existence under Nihilus proved this. But even that trauma was barely comparable at this stage.

"Now you understand the true power of the dark side," Vitiate hissed, spreading his arms forward in a challenging position. "You will all die before my hand."

Refusing to listen, Revan raised his free hand and unleashed a barrage of Force lighting. Not surprisingly, Vitiate caught it with ease, chuckling in amusement as to why Revan would try such a foolish attack.

Then what's when it dawned on him it was a ruse. While blocking Revan's attack, Meetra swooped in from the right, striking her lightsaber towards him. If he didn't react, she would strike, but if he did, then Revan's Force lighting would engulf him.

Acting fast, Vitiate dropped his guard to avoid her attack, forced to absolve Revan's attack. He Force pushed Meetra away as Revan electrocuted him, releasing grunts of pain while doing so. Revan did not ease him one bit, now using both hands to inflict more damage. Even if this attack would not kill him, any damage they could inflict would give them an advantage.

For a second, it appeared that the lighting would finish him off, but he wasn't the emperor for a reason. Fuelling on the pain Revan caused him and turning it into anger, his power increased dramatically as he attacked Revan, using his powers to dominate Revan's mind.

The former dark lord fell to the ground, clutching both hands against his head in agony, pain took a hold of his body that left him paralyzed. Vitiate was not finished by a long shot. He raised one hand, forcing Revan from the ground.

He slammed him into the ground and ceiling in rapid succession, repeating the same pattern until Revan remained lifeless. Dropping him to the ground, Vitiate stood over Revan, a wave of anger washed over him.

"And now you die, Revan, lord of the Sith," Vitiate mocked him as he raised one hand, a small aura of Force lightning washed over his hand.

"Vitiate!"

With a frustrated sigh, Vitiate turned to see Meetra had forced herself back to her feet. She kept one arm over her injured torso, the other wielding her lightsaber.

"Get away from him!" Meetra demanded as she struggling to take up a defensive state.

Vitiate chuckled, facing the former exile with confidence. "Look around you, exile. Your friends are beaten, even with their pathetic combined attacks. What hope do you have of beating me alone?"

"I don't," Meetra responded. "You are strong, Vitiate, far stronger than I dared to think. You may beat me and kill me, but no matter how hard I fall, how much pain you cause, for my friends, my allies and the future of the galaxy, I am not about to give up! The Force fights with me."

Without another word, she charged with her lightsaber raised as their battle continued. The others remained too injured to move, forcing Meetra to fight alone. Her chances were slim, something she acknowledged. But true to her word, she was not going to give up.

* * *

Far from the surface of the planet, the battle in space continued between fleets. The combined efforts from the Republic and Mandalorian fleets forced the Sith to fight more strategic than usual.

Aboard the command ship, one of the Republic crewmen spun his chair to face his commanding officers. "Admiral, our fleet have taken down another one of their cruisers. We have them on the defensive."

"Excellent," Dodonna nodded as she drifted her attention towards another crewmen. "What is the status of our fighters?"

The crewmen did a quick sweep over his radar before answering in detail. "Green and Red team have broken through the third cruiser's defensives to our south-west. Blue team have lost half of their squadron."

"And what of our allies?" Dodonna added.

"Bralor's flagship is currently engaged with the fourth cruiser to the north-east," the crewmen added. "They seem to be holding up on their own."

Dodonna nodded, filled with satisfaction and hope that their team currently had the upperhand. She raised one arm, gesturing toward the various enemy ships within sight. "Ships seven, nine and sixteen, advance towards sector ten!"

While the Republic forces focused their fire on the cruisers, the Mandalorians pulled their weight on taking down waves of fighters. Led by Kelborn, a squadron of fighters flew in formation as they prepared to fight.

Kelborn remained ahead of the fleet, blood rushing through his veins in excitement. The battle against the Sith attacking their base had left him eager for more. "All wings report in."

Multiple responses echoed from his comlink.

 _"Shadow one, standing by."_

 _"Shadow two, standing by."_

 _"Shadow three, ready to fight!"_

 _"Shadow four, locked and loaded!"_

 _"Shadow five, eager for blood!"_

The second each fighter had reported in, Kelborn tightened his grip against steering. With his signature war cry, he charged into battle against dozens of fighters. It would appear foolish for others, but for their kind, it was the greatest thing to behold. "For MANDALORE!"

* * *

Meetra's will to fight remained strong as she fought Vitiate alone, her allies subdued from their injuries. She fought well, utilising everything she had learned, but her energy decreased at a fast rate, growing weary despite her training. Vitiate was practically toying with her at this point.

Exhausted, she could no longer keep up a fight as her energy expired. With a grin of satisfaction, Vitiate slammed his fist into her stomach, followed with knocking her lightsaber from her hand before kicking her to the ground.

"Fools," Vitiate sighed, reaching one hand out to retrieve Meetra's lightsaber, igniting the blue blade yet again. "I should have killed Revan from the start, all those years ago. No matter, it is time we put an end to this."

Groaning in greater agony she had ever felt, Meetra rolled herself onto her back and attempted to stand. Vitiate stood over her, placing one foot against her chest to force her back down.

Vitiate raised her own lightsaber against her, thrusting it down with the intent of killing her. Meetra clutched her eyes as Vitiate struck. This was it, this was her end. She had given it her all, but the power between them did not close in any significant degree. However, instead of meeting her end, Meetra was confused to hear a sudden grunt of agony in front of her.

Opening her eyes, Meetra watched in horror as Visas stood over her, her face lifeless and now with a lightsaber impaled through her torso. Her mouth dropped in shock. "VISAS!"

Vitiate grinned as the first of his victims fell, removing the lightsaber from her torso. Meetra caught Visas as she fell, gently holding her within her arms. With her distracted, Vitiate stuck to finish the job, only to have his weapon blocked by another blue blade. Before he could react, his attacker had forced him away.

"We're not done yet," Revan hissed, pushing Vitiate away as he went on the offensive.

Vitiate was forced to shift his attention when Revan attacked, giving them more space between them.

"Visas!" Meetra shouted, her voice shaken as she held the injured miraluka within her arms. "Hang in there! I will get you help!"

Through grunts of pain, Visas slowly replied, her breath growing softer with each second. Most of her body was in more pain than ever before, but she kept her calmness, reaching one hand up to hold Meetras."My master...Meetra...It is as once I told you...My life...For yours."

Meetra's eyes widened in horror as Visas fell limp, completely empty of life. She attempted to shake her away, no response was given. Her mind went numb as Visas fell from her arms towards the ground, smoke emitting from her fatal injury.

Meetra stood slowly, her mind completely obviously to the battle around them. She remained speechless, shock taking a hold of her body as she watched her friend die, the one she had promised to take care of. It was just like Kreia had warned her: those who followed would be hurt.

Her eyes remained swelled with years, her fists shaking to try and contain her feelings. Something inside her snapped, something she had not experienced since she was a child.

Anger.

As Vitiate forced Revan on the defensive before kicking him down again, his attention drifted elsewhere towards his previous opponent. He watched in awe as Meetra released a piercing scream, one filled with mixed emotions of sadness, regret, anger and hate. Her screams remained powerful to the point she had inadvertently created a Force repulse, shattering pieces of the room around them.

Revan remained just as surprised as he remained injured on the ground, watching his close friend became something new, her peaceful personality exchanged for one of hatred. Her whole body emitted with purple lighting of aura, her eyes turned bright inside her had finally snapped, all she was trained to resist had finally been release.

It was clear that the Meetra he once knew was gone.

Enraged, Meetra retrieved Visas lightsaber and charged with incredible speed. Vitiate, stunned by her drastic increase in power, would have received a fatal blow to the stomach had he not used Meetra's lightsaber to block at the last second/

"Meetra," Revan mumbled beneath his mask.

For the first time in this fight, Vitiate was forced on the defensive as Meetra unleashed her fury, striking her lightsaber with incredible speed. Vitiate remained puzzled as to how her energy could have increased so much. Tapping into her anger had increased her power to a whole other level.

Vitiate barely blocked each striked, forced to rely surely on the defensive. He remained puzzle as to how she was forcing him backwards. "This is impossible! You cannot be this strong."

Whatever remained of Meetra was gone. Now she was filled with pure rage and ready to kill. "I HATE YOU! YOU WILL PAY!"

Despite his best efforts, Vitiate received a couple of non-lethal slashes across torso, though the dark side power prevented him from dropping his guard. As their fight continued, they locked their lightsabers into a blade lock.

"I'LL KILL YOU!" Meetra screamed as she pushed both their lightsabers against Vitiate.

"Rise above your emoitions!" Vitiate responded. "You have allowed your feelings to make you stronger. The dark side fuels your power."

Wherever his words reached her hearing or not mattered not. Either way, she was not letting up. "YOU WILL SUFFER!"

Fueling on more power, Meetra released a powerful Force scream, the shock wave sent Vitiate flying backwards, dropping her lightsaber in the process that she received. Before he recovered, Meetra threw both lightsabers to the ground and held Vitiate in the air through the Force.

Without hesitation, she proceeded to toss Vitiate across the throne room, slamming him into every wall, floor and ceiling that dared got in his way. For an old man, it was a miracle he was enduring these injuries without fatal injury.

Slamming him to the ceiling one more time, Meetra unleashed a barrage of Force lightning, igniting Vitiate in a blaze of flames. She did not stop, forcing him to endure the punishment for everything he had done.

"Do you feel that?!" Meetra shrieked. "That is the pain you have caused others! That is the agony you have caused this galaxy! No MORE!"

Ceasing her Force lightning attack, Meetra slammed him to the ground once more, finally releasing him from her telekinesis. Intending to kill him with her weapons, Meetra raised both hands and retrieved Visas' and her own lightsabers.

Vitiate lied defenseless to her feet, weakened from her endless onslaught. Meetra stood over him, her anger sparking with every second as both her own and Visas lightsabers remained held firm in hands, her aura surrounding her with sparks of energy.

Revan continued to spectate from nearby as he attempted to recover himself. He remained unsure of what would happen to Meetra, the thought of her turning down towards the dark side of the Force forever. He fell once to it's corruption, he would not allow her to go as well.

As Meetra had the emperor at her mercy, the sight of her defenceless opponent finally broke through to her, reminding her of the many victims she had witnessing throughout her life. This had finally calmed her mind. With a deep and shocked breath, she stumbled back, her eyes returning to normal and the aura dispersing.

She raised both her hands, trembling with fear over her actions. She had fallen, gave into the power of the dark side, a feat she vowed she would never do. "I...I...What have I done?...What did I do?...Visas...I'm sorry."

The shock of her previous actions left her with her guard down, one that Vitiate took advantage of. With quick speed he raised one hand and retrieved Scourge's lightsaber before swiping his lightsaber directly towards her.

Revan leaped forward, screaming to warn her of the danger ahead. "Meetra!"

Snapping from her thoughts, Meetra raised both lightsabers in a desperate attempt to block the fatal blow. Her last-second actions had prevented her own demise, but not without a heavy consequence. Revan watched in horror as Meetra's right hand was separated from her body and fell to the ground, lightsaber still in grip.

"AHHHHHHHHHH!" Meetra screamed almost as loud as her previous rage. The pain was too unbearable to tolerate. She fell to the ground, clutching her only hand against her arm. Tears filled within her eyes, both of sadness, pain and regret of everything that had just occurred. Her fight was over, not because she couldn't, but because she refused.

Vitiate recovered himself, dusting off the damage she had previously inflicted upon him. "I am impressed. You actually pushed me into using a lightsaber. It has been a long time someone has pushed me this far in battle before. You would have made an excellent Sith."

He stepped forward to finish the job, only stopping when the familiar face of Scourge stood before him. "Scourge. You rise yet again?"

Scourge ignored his comments, taking up a fighting stance despite being defenceless. Overconfident as usual, Vitiate tossed Scourge his own lightsaber back, intending to fight him as before. Without hesitation, he jumped into battle yet again.

In the meantime, Revan recovered what little strength he had, holding one arm over his torso as he stumbled towards Meetra. He fell to his knees, attending to her. "Meetra! Meetra, speak to me! Don't you dare die on me!"

Meetra remained conscious as her entire body trembled from shock and pain, tears continued falling from her eyes. "I failed...I fell...I wielded the dark side...I failed…"

"Don't talk like that," Revan responded, gently holding one arm over her for support. "You...You can't give up...I know you, you will never fall. We have to stay focused. Vitiate is still alive, and Scourge cannot hold him off forever."

Through pain and trauma, Meetra gathered what little strength she had in an attempt to stand, only to fall immediately, even with Revan supporting her. This fight was over for her, no matter how much she wanted to.

Revan refused to believe she was down once and for all. After everything that has happened, the mandalorian wars, her exile, her return and the defeat of Traya, there was no way she was going to die her. "Meetra...It's my fault...I...We should have left! I was so blinded by rage! Idiot!"

Slowly, Meetra reached out her one hand, accepting his own. "Revan...There is...Still a way…The...Fleet."

It took Revan a few seconds to understand what she was suggesting, leaving him in shock. "Destroy the citadel...Destroy Vitiate ...That would be-"

"Killing ourselves," Meetra confirmed hesitantly. "I know...I promised Bastila I would bring you home...I'm sorry, Revan."

The battle between Scourge and Vitiate continued nearby, but as of now, the two former Jedi were in a world of their own. Slowly, Revan raised his hands and removed his mask and hood, revealing his battle-worn face once again.

His expression remained mixed with emotion as he held his old friend close. Revan suddenly frowned, filled with determination once. "No. This isn't where it ends. Meetra, we can beat him!"

Through pain both physically and mentally, Meetra remained puzzled. "I don't understand."

"Meetra, you can draw on others around you!" Revan exclaimed as he stood tall, releasing her hand. "Your ability. The others outside, I sense they are still alive and fighting. We can contact them, ask them to help us through the Force."

Whenever it be the pain or her own mind, Meetra had almost completely forgot about her ability. She sat against the pillar under her own strength, her injured arm held around her torso. "Revan...What you are asking of me is risky...I don't have much left...But I think it may work…"

By now, Scourge was beginning to frail against Vitiate, panting in exhaustion. His desperate attempt had merely bought them time, one that would not be enough. Desperate, Scourge ignited his own lightsaber against his arm, scraping his own flesh away.

"Scourge!" Revan exclaimed.

Absolving his inner power, Scourge released a roar of pain, turning that pain into anger and using it to fuel his power. With his temporary boost, Scourge charged into battle yet again, though he had not got as strong as he hoped.

Revan recovered his own lightsaber and prepared to join in on the fight. "Meetra, I will buy you as much time as I can, but it's up to you to gather your strength!" he gripped his weapon and charged, yelling out his opponent's name to catch his attention. "Vitiate!"

Meetra closed her eyes and concentrated, blocking away the surroundings around her.

* * *

One by one, more soldiers would advance despite the team's efforts. They had been fighting for at least an hour and felt like they had made little to no progress. Swarms of bodies remained scattered around them, none of which were their own.

Amongst the battle, Carth remained fighting as he struggled in a battle against in soldier, both fighting over the same blaster. With a strong push, he slammed the soldiers own weapon against him before retrieving one his blasters and shooting him in the chest.

As the admiral recovered his second weapon, a familiar voice startled him, one that did not come from his comlink.

 _"Everyone. Can you hear me?"_

"Meetra?" Carth questioned while dodging the incoming fire. "Is that you?"

 _"It's me. I'm speaking to you telepathically."_

"Are you okay?" Juhani questioned after cutting a dark Jedi in two. "You have been in there far too long!"

HK-47 paused his endless slaughter for a moment to inquire as to why some of their allies had ceased attacking. "Query: why are the meatbags talking to the sky? Everyone has gone crazy!"

 _"There is no time to explain. I need your help, all of you. Get back to the Ebon Hawk."_

Bao-Dur leaped forward and sliced his weapon through a dark Jedi, cutting off his arm before finishing him with a slash to the throat. "General, we're not leaving you!"

 _"You won't. All of you, get back to the ship and take off, right now!"_

None of them had ever heard Meetra be so demanding, her tone filled with pure aggression. Realising she was not asking twice, the team slowly retreated backwards towards their ship, the Force wielders remained at the front as the main cover.

One by one, the team entered the ship, Carth immediately running to the cockpit as he rapidly turned on the systems. "Come on! Times like these I need T3!"

"They're getting away!" one of the dark Jedi warned. "Don't let that ship take off!"

Teams of soldiers fired their weapons towards the ship, but their weapons proved ineffective against the ship's shields. Requiring more firepower, one of the soldiers stepped forward with a rocket launcher, aiming it directly towards the ship. Without hesitation, he fired.

Mission was the first to spot it. "Incoming!"

Leaping forward, Mical raised one hand and caught the missile in mid air. With a small push, he deflected the missile back towards their enemy, watching with relief as it exploded. Acting fast, the rest of the team entered the ship, doing a quick double check to make certain no one was left behind.

Carth pulled the Ebon Hawk away from the city towards a safer distance, knowing he could not join the space battle above yet. He set the ship to autopilot as he joined the others in the centre.

Mission looked towards the ceiling as she spoke. "Meetra, can you still hear us?"

 _"Yes. Are you all safe?"_

"We're back in the ship and away from the citadel," Mical reassured. "We are all concerned for your well-being. Have you received Revan?"

 _"Revan is with us but there is no time to explain! We are fighting the emperor as we speak. Atton, Visas and T3 are down. There is only one way to finish this."_

Juhani stepped forward. "What is it your need of us?"

There was a moment of silence, leaving the crew unclear if Meetra was still with them. Fortunately, she finally continued. _"My ability to draw on the Force. It is time I use it for good. All of you, please lend me your power. It is the only way to defeat the emperor."_

The crew remained puzzled for a moment as to what exactly she was requesting.

"I don't follow, General," Bao-Dur admitted.

 _"Just focus on my voice. Meditate, concentrate on my presence and allow the Force to flow. Please. I believe in you. You can do it, all of you."_

Her request had not gave them any more clearance, but now was not the time to wonder. She needed their help, the tone of her voice was quite clear of that. With exchanged looks, Bao-Dur, Brianna, Mical and Juhani sat together in a circle, sitting with their legs crossed just like they were taught.

Closing their eyes and blocking out the world around them, the Force wielders concentrated on Meetra's presence. Though the dark side occupation clouded the planet, amongst the darkness, there was a small light. It's presence was fate, but it was there. That was Meetra, no doubt about it.

Keeping their minds fully focused, the four each raised their right hands, transferring their Force energy towards Meetra, their ally, leader and friend. It was up to every man and woman here to do their job. That included non-Force wielders.

"Come on," Mission requested as she took a seat behind Juhani, placing one hand upon the cathar's shoulder.

Carth raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Mission?"

"The Force runs in all beings, including us," Mission explained, remembering the teachings from the former exile. She closed her eyes and concentrated with the others.

Carth understood nothing of the Force, but he wasn't going to sit back and watch. In agreement, he too joined in behind Mical and placed his hand against his back.

Canderous couldn't avoid a grunt, finding the whole use of the Force to be nothing but tricks and deception. But after everything that occurred, he made a vow to stick with Revan, one he did not intend to break as Mandalore himself. It was mandalorian honour.

"Fine," Canderous sighed, taking a seat behind Bao-Dur and repeating the same pattern as his friends.

HK remained the only one standing, unable to assist. He remained idle as the rest of the team remained still, deep in focus in assisting their Jedi ally.

* * *

Meetra remained meditated in the same as position as before, her mind fully focused. Through the Force, she felt it's presence become closer than ever before. It was working, her allies energy was coming through. She just needed a little more time.

 _"There is no emotion…There is peace…"_

By now, Scourge had been defeated by Vitiate, standing no chance against his injuries. While he remained unconscious, Revan personally engaged Vitiate, but no surprise, he could not hit him with his lightsaber.

As he stumbled, he turned and remained stunned to what he witnessed. Meetra, still in her meditative position, had a turquoise coloured aura glowing around her. It was similar to before when she allowed her anger to control her, only now it gave a much powerful and calmer state of control.

"She's doing it," Revan noted, his hopes rising once again that they may actually be successful. "But I sense there is more to come. I need to buy her time."

Tossing his lightsaber to the ground, Revan personally engaged Vitiate in hand to hand combat. Surprisingly, he fought more effectively without his lightsaber, actually landing a few good punches. He remained cautious still, knowing he had to keep Vitiate's attention away from her.

Meetra felt her energy increase with great speed, yet she remained calm and collective, keeping her mind fully focused. _"(This...Power...Incredible…)"_

Through telepathy, her friends communicated with her, all while continuing as much energy as they could spare. Everyone was with her till the end, both in person and in spirit.

 _"There is no ignorance...There is knowledge…"_

Carth, Bao-Dur, Brianna, Mission, Juhani, Canderous and Mical all encouraged her one by one, promising her that they would be with her until the end.

 _"We're all here, Meetra! No one fights alone."_

 _"I'm with you, General, to the end. Always."_

 _"Your power is great, exile, wield it to defeat the Sith!"_

 _"Get 'em, Meetra! Make him pay!"_

 _"Show this monster the true power of a Jedi knight."_

 _"Kill that good for nothing Sith, blast him to oblivion!"_

 _"You are a perfect example of a Jedi knight, use your gifts to defeat the evil."_

Another voice spoke, one that sounded all too familiar. _"My master, I remain with you, always."_

 _"There is no passion, there is serenity…"_

"Visas," Meetra felt their presence stronger than ever before, gifting her with a power so great that not even the mightiest of Sith could stand up to her any longer. "Thank you...Thank you, everyone."

Meanwhile, Vitiate kept up his endless onslaughter, striking Revan from left to right. With one strong punch, he once against slammed the former dark lord to the ground, rendering him wounded yet again. Growing tired of their meddling, it was time to finish this now.

A great disturbance in the Force shook him from his attack. Turning, his eyes widened in surprise as Meetra stood before him, an aura of light surrounding her. "Impossible. Where did she get this power?"

 _"There is no chaos...There is harmony…"_

Meetra glared towards him, her mind calm and focused on the battle. She spoke, her voice now added with an echo. "Your hour has arrived, Vitiate. No longer will you corrupt the galaxy."

Vitiate growled in frustration. No one would dare surpass his power, especially for a Jedi. He retrieved Scourge's lightsaber and charged towards Meetra, slamming the lightsaber directly towards her head. This time, he intended to cut off a limb she couldn't survive without.

 _"There is no death...There is the Force…"_

His lightsaber came into contact, but not how he intended. With her only hand remaining, Meetra used the Tutaminis to block the lightsaber without harm. Stunned, Vitiate stepped back as Meetra release a powerful Force repulse, sending the emperor flying through the air.

Just about landing on his feet, Vitiate now realized the true danger he faced. Cupping both hands together, he channelled the true power of the dark side, creating a small yet frighteningly powerful ball of lighting. He shouldn't have toyed with him, he should have ended it when he had the chance. No more mercy was going to be showed.

"RRRRRGHAHHHHHHHHHH!" Vitiate bellowed, his voice shattering the glass and whatever still remained in the throne. He thrust his arms forward, release a unique red force lighting straight towards her.

Meetra kept her hand raised, knowing she had to keep her guard up to the max. That attack wouldn't harm her, it would kill her! Even with her incredible power boost, she was forced to put up a struggle as the lighting collided with her.

She was successful in blocking the attack, but not without effort. Releasing grunts of struggle while trying to think how she would counter-attack. "Rggh. Gahh.. Argh!"

Both Dorce wielders were unable to gain leverage over the other. Vitiate could not break through Meetra's guard and she was unable to deflect it back towards him. Had she still had both hands, this may have been over in an instant. But with her only hand, they were both at a stalemate.

 _"(I won't lose,)"_ Meetra swore to herself. _"(I will not fail.)"_

"Meetra!"

From the corner of her eye, she had never been more relieved to see Revan standing beside her, heavily injured but otherwise alive. Meetra felt a sense of joy to see him again.

Without hesitation, he stood close and raised both hands, joining Meetra in blocking the lighting attack. Their combined efforts were now making it much more difficult for Vitiate to breach through their presence.

For the first time in his life, Vitiate felt fear. His own attack was slowly being pushed back towards him. He remained strong, knowing if he even lost focus for a second, it would be his impending room. He would not dare lose to them.

As Vitiate forced a struggle, a sudden sharp, heated pain collided with his side, causing him to drop to one knee. Had it not been for his strong connection to the dark side, that attack may have killed him. Turning, he growled in frustration to see another familiar face. "You!"

Atton held himself up, one hand holding a pillar for support while the other had his blaster aimed towards the emperor. Turning to Meetra, he shouted as loud as his voice would allow him. "NOW!"

With their combined teamwork, Meetra and Revan unleashed their full power, redirecting the Force lighting towards Vitiate. The emperor attempted to gather control over his own attack, but no amount of dark side power could deflect such a power.

Vitiate release a cry of agony as the red lighting engulfed him, paralyzing him in place with greater pain than he had ever experienced in his life. "NOOOO! NOOOO! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

In a matter of seconds, whatever remained of Vitiate had vanished. The emperor dispersed into nothing more than dust, his entire presence gone for eternity. The second the lightning had dispersed, Meetra and Revan fell to their knees, completely exhausted of energy.

Meetra panted as her temporary energy left her, reverting her back to normal yet again. She slowly raised her right arm where her previous hand now remained as stump. Fortunately, her comlink remained intact, too weak to speak telepathically anymore. "Carth...Can you hear me?"

The admiral replied almost immediately. _"Meetra! Is everything okay?"_

Through dizziness and pain, Meetra mustered the strength to raise a relieved smile. "We did it, Carth. It's over...The emperor is dead."

On the other side of the comlink, Carth never sounded more comforted. _"Music to my ears. Is Revan okay?"_

The former dark lord sat beside Meetra, reaching over in hearing range. "I'm here, Carth."

 _"Revan,"_ Carth greeted, surprised to hear his old friend's voice after so many years. He was more than happy to say he hadn't changed a bit. _"It's been a long time."_

"So it has, Carth, so it has," Revan agreed.

Their conversation was cut short by a third party contacting them in the same channel. _"This is Admiral Dodonna. Carth, we have an opening on the citadel and can begin our bombardment run. Are we clear to engage?"_

Carth was unsure on how to respond on the matter due to his friends still trapped inside. Meetra raised her comlink. _"Admiral, give us ten minutes to get clear and begin your attack. Will that be enough time?"_

 _"It will be close,"_ Dodonna hesitated, but nevertheless remained firm to her orders. _"But we can do it. Ten minutes. You better get out quick."_

"Roger that," Meetra agreed as she shifted her attention towards the only Sith remaining. "Scourge, is there another way out of the citadel by air?"

Out of the small team present, Scourge remained the only one with the least injuries, able to stand under his own strength despite the damage he had received. "There is a landing pad directly on the top of the tower. We can take the elevator, but we must hurry if we are to make it in time."

Revan nodded in acknowledgement. "Understood."

Atton joined them not long after, immediately kneeling down to Meetra, the woman he promised to protect. "Meetra. Your hand."

With some resistance, Meetra got to her feet with the help of Revan, flinging her left arm over his shoulder for support. "Don't worry about me, Atton."

Though she reassured him, Atton released a wave of anger as he punched a nearby pillar to vent his frustration, causing his knuckles to bleed as well. "I should of done more! I could have helped! If I wasn't such an idiot, you would have your hand, Visas would be alive-"

"Atton!" Meetra cut him off. "You can't blame yourself. You did all you could. Please, we have to go."

Relectaunt, Atton calmed himself. However, before leaving, he proceeded towards one of the corners of the room towards the astromech droid. T3 remained still, pieces of his armor scattered around him.

Atton knelt down to his height, patting a hand against his head. Whatever functions remained operated inside still kept the droid active. He hesitated to admit it, but never before had he been relieved to see the droid still working. "You still with me, sparky?"

T3 beeped softly, his blue eye half active. Fortunately, he had enough power inside to move at his own will, slowly approaching his masters. Atton followed suit shortly after.

The remaining allies exited the throne room. Meetra took one last look towards Visas and paid a moment of respect to her friend. Their injuries and lack of time forced them to leave her behind. Before long, the team made their way back to the elevator, passing many corpses along the way.

Scourge entered the code that would take them to the roof of the citadel. As the ascend begun, there was nothing but silence filling the elevator. Killing the emperor had bought no one comfort, not even Revan for that matter. Not the victory they wanted to see.

"Scourge," Revan begun, turning to said Sith while he supported Meetra. "Thank you."

Scourge did not return the thanks, but did nod in appreciation. "Think nothing of it."

"None of this would have been possible without your help," Meetra expressed her gratitude as well. "We owe you a debt."

"I am of the dark and you are of the light," Scourge responded as he remained staring towards the elevator door. "We had a mutual enemy and we dealt with it together. That is all."

Realizing he had nothing more to say, the rest of the team remained silent as they awaited their journey. It was time to leave this forsaken planet once and for all.

* * *

Through the dark clouds that surrounded the planet, three Republic cruisers emerged through the atmosphere, their course set directly towards the city in front of them. In precisely three minutes, they would begin their bombardment run on the citadel.

As they fought off a few enemy fighters that attempted to bring them down, one single ship flew past them and set course towards the same target, only their intent was to rescue, not destroy.

"We got a fighter on us!" Canderous, who manned the turret, called out.

Carth flew the ship, dodging the ship fire from behind. "HK, put us through to Meetra!"

The assassin droid was currently acting as his co-pilot as the others were inexperienced. He entered a few codes into the communications panel. "Greetings: Master, are you ready for pick up?"

 _"We've just reached the top of the citadel!"_ Revan responded a few seconds later. _"We can see you coming!"_

"Get ready to jump on, we need to make a quick ride out of here," Carth ordered, shaking in his seat as blaster fire collided with the ship, though their shields prevented any damage. "Canderous, will you please take care of that fighter?!"

"Maybe if you didn't fly like a blind gizka, I would actually hit something!" Canderous shouted. With a growl of frustration, he fired one more shot and felt a wave of satisfaction once the enemy fighter blew up into pieces.

Positioned on the top of the citadel, the team of five waited for their ride, still exhausted of energy as the strong winds blew through their hair. Revan continued supporting Meetra while T3 diverted all power into keeping himself active.

The Ebon Hawk came closer into view by the second. Scourge, however, did not feel any comfort. He turned and ignited his lightsaber, narrowly blocking a lightsaber strike from a dark Jedi.

"Traitor!" the dark Jedi hissed as two more of his allies emerged from hiding.

With his free hand, Revan ignited his own lightsaber, preparing to fight. Atton did the same as well, one hand held his lightsaber while the blaster remained in the other.

"You're too weak to fight!" Scourge warned as he fought his former colleagues single-handedly.

Finally, the Ebon Hawk arrived and slowly descended to the edge of the roof, the Republic cruisers not far behind. The ship turned a full one-hundred and eighty degrees as the ramp lowered. Carth and Mical hung on the edges, both held out one hand for their allies.

"Come on!" Carth called.

"Go!" Scourge demanded while forcing opponent on the defensive. "I will catch up!"

Although a small part hesitated, the team moved as fast as their legs would carry them. Revan forced to move slowly due to Meetra's injury, Atton wounded from battle and T3 barely hanging together.

As Revan and Meetra jumped onto the ramp, Carth and Mical assisted them from falling, though they refused to go all the way inside until all of their allies were aboard.

Atton was about to jump on next, only to remember the astromech droid lacked power to make it alone. He raised both hands, slowly picking up the droid. "I got you."

Gently as possible, Atton set down T3 on the ramp before jumping inside himself. He miscalculated the jump and almost lost his footing. As he stumbled backwards, his hand was grasped by another.

"I have you," Mical assured as he lifted the scoundrel back inside.

Atton nodded as a thanks before turning towards their only ally who had not yet made it inside the Hawk.

"Scourge!" Revan called. "Come on! Hurry!"

Scourge continued fighting alone, dodging each of the dark Jedi's attacks. Turning, he waved towards them. "I will not follow. The Sith have to be extinct. _All_ of them."

The rather large emphasis he placed on the "all" clearly indicated he had no intention of following. The team remained reluctant to leave him, but no longer got a say in the matter as the ship pulled away from the citadel.

Carth charged towards the cockpit, taking his previous seat while HK flew them to safety. He immediately contacted the fleet. "Admiral Dodonna, we're clear."

* * *

Dodonna nodded as she turned towards her pilot's, addressing them firmy. For one final time, she gave the order to end this war once and for all. "All Republic cruisers...Fire at will, hit the city with everything you have."

* * *

Through the cockpit window, Carth watched the events unfold before him. Heavy cannon fire bombarded the city, flames and debris followed shortly afterwards. The Sith below watched in horror as they met their demise, unable to get to any means of escape. Those who were in fighters did not last much longer than their ground allies.

"Statement: isn't it beautiful?" HK-47 sighed. "Watching meatbags squirm for their lives as the met their end. Times like these wish me I had tears of joy to shred."

In the past, comments like that would have crept Carth out, but spending time around the assassin droid left him unfazed. Instead, he leaned back in satisfaction as he plotted a course away from the planet.

* * *

In space, Bralor watched the events hold from the flagship as the Sith forces were practically in retreat. Unfortunately for them, mandalorians were not known for their mercy. "Cut off their escape, not one ship leaves alive!"

Any remaining Sith cruiser attempted to flee, only to have every possible escape blocked from their paths. Unable to retreat, the Sith remained defenceless as mandalorian ships released barrages of fire power upon them. Nothing would remain of the Sith, not even a trace.

* * *

 **Wow that was a big chapter! But here we are with our next author's note, ladies and gentlemen. Now let's do some discussions. First, the final battle. One thing I wanted to do with this chapter was to make it feel like a battle, hence why I showed the multiple battles and not limited it to one scene. It's like the battles of Endor and Naboo. Plus, I know how much everyone hated the ending to the Revan novel. I wanted this to be a battle worth remembering, also demonstrating Meetra's ability to draw on others through the Force.**

 **Second, my decision to kill of Visas. Now that was a tough one to make, but when it comes to battle, good guys don't always get out of harm's way. Adding onto this, Visas had dedicated herself to serving Meetra, willing to die for her if it meant protection her mentor. Trust me, this was not an easy choice. Now how long do we have left to go? I cannot say for certain, but I still have more stories to tell. Thank you all for joining me on this journey so far. Please review your thoughts.**


	24. Chapter 24: Aftermath

**Knights of the Old Republic 3: The Final Chapters**

 **Chapter 24: Aftermath**

 **Hiya everyone, we're back after a few weeks. Big thanks to everyone who reviewed the previous chapter, glad to see my interpretation of the battle was met with positive reception. Let us hope the rest of the story can conclude on a good note. Enjoy chapter 24.**

* * *

With the destruction of both the planet and the fleet, the Ebon Hawk had no reason to stay and begun to ascend towards space, intending to meet up with the fleet. The team reunited in the center of the ship once again.

Meetra, now supported by Atton, smiled in relief to see her friends safe. "Thank you. All of you. Without your help, I would have never defeated the emperor. I owe you all a great debt."

"No Meetra," Bao-Dur replied, surprising her with his sudden change of title. "It is us who owe you. You taught us there was more to life than we thought, showed us the will of the Force. For that, we thank you as well."

The others agreed as they responded simultaneously. Meetra would love nothing more than to spend time with her team, but her lack of energy and missing hand prevented that. She was barely keeping together as it was, her legs weakening by every second that passed.

Juhani was finally the first to notice her missing limb. "Your hand!"

Mical immediately ran to her side, swapping places with Atton, who for once did not allow jealousy and pride to get in the way. "I will get her to the medical bay. Rest assured, she will be fine."

No one protested as Mical carried Meetra towards the medical bay, leaving the rest of the team alone with Revan. There was an awkward silence as the team faced each other, unsure on what to say. Those who knew him had longed to see him for so long, yet now that he was present, there were no word to be exchanged.

Bao-Dur approached T3, kneeling down to the droid's height to inspect the damage. "I'll get you fixed up in no time."

The zabrak carried the utility droid to the garage where he intended to start repairs ASAP. Their ship lacked any necessary astromech parts, but when it came to improvising with any materials available, Bao-Dur was very good at that.

Slowly, Revan removed his mask and hood, revealing his face to his friends for the first time in years. "It's been a long time, everyone."

The first to step forward was Mission, who remained speechless as she made eye contact with her old friend. Even after she had grown, Revan still towered over her. Without hesitation, she threw her arms around Revan. "I missed you."

Though caught by surprise, Revan was more than happy to return the gesture, holding the girl he considered the little sister he never had. "I missed you too, Mission."

The others watched with smiles, glad to see such a touching reunion between friends. As they parted their hug, the next one of his old friends to greet him was no other than the cathar member.

Slightly surprised, Revan placed one hand against her shoulder. "Juhani."

"Hello Revan," Juhani greeted as she returned the same gesture. "I am glad to see you are back."

Revan patted her shoulder before turning towards Canderous who had removed his helmet to face him. Mandalore did not say a word. Instead, he raised his hand and crossed one finger over the other as a sign of respect, a feat which Revan secretly returned. He was not surprised the mandalorian would be too proud to express his joy of seeing him again.

"Master!"

Revan almost jumped upon hearing the familiar face of his old assassin droid. Never was he more happy to see him. "HK! You're still active!"

"Statement: master, if I had emotions built inside, I would be more than happy to express joy for our reunion," HK-47 said in delight. "With your return, I am no longer ordered to follow the exile and my full programming is now under your command once again, master."

"That's good to hear, HK," Revan agreed. "I apologise for not taking you with me, but you have to understand this was something I had to do alone."

"Commentary: think nothing of it, master," HK-47 reasurred. "Since my re-activation, I have had the time of my life killing meatbag after meatbag. It was an honour to fight for your return, master."

There was only one more member Revan needed to reunite with. Turning to one side, he faced his old friend, the one who had accompanied Revan from the beginning of his new identity. "Carth."

The admiral stepped forward, one hand offered towards his closest ally. "It's been too long, old friend. Too long. I'm glad you're back."

Revan reached out his own hand, accepting Carth's. "It's good to be back, Carth. Thank you for everything."

"I know you would do the same," Carth agreed as their handshake concluded. "We'll catch up later. I better get back to flying the ship."

The admiral left to attend with the Ebon Hawk's course, leaving Revan to meet the rest of the team from Meetra's side.

"I don't believe we have met," Revan greeted. "You travel with Meetra?"

Mical nodded as he took a respectful bow. "It is an honour to make you acquaintance. I have heard much about you from my studies. I am Mical, historian and scientist."

The Handmaiden stepped forward next. "I am Brianna, the last of the Handmaidens who served under Jedi master Atris."

Revan arched an eyebrow curiosity. "Atris? But I thought-"

"She was killed with the rest of the Jedi on Katarr," Brianna concluded. "She was fortunate to have survived, but I am sad to see she along with my sisters are now one with the Force."

"I am sorry to hear that," Revan offered his condolences before moving on to one more member who remained elsewhere. "And the mechanic?"

"That's Bao-Dur," Atton introduced. "He served as a tech with Meetra during the Mandalorian Wars. Surprised you guys didn't meet."

Revan shook his head to avoid memories of his past catching up with him yet again. "Let's just get back to safety. I want to get as far as way from this world as possible."

There were no protests in that matter. The destruction of the Sith would be a day long remembered in the history of the galaxy. It was safe to say that from this moment forward, the galaxy was finally free from Vitiate and his Sith followers.

* * *

Upon reuniting the fleet, the Ebon Hawk was personally escorted towards Dodonna's flagship. The admiral was there to personally greet them in the hanger, accompanied with a handful of her soldiers and Bralor.

The Hawk came into a landing shortly after, descending carefully as they were escorted in by engineers with lights. Moments after the ship had entered, the crew of the Ebon Hawk were met with a round of applause as they appeared from the ship, a couple of them injured from battle and requiring assistance.

"Huh, what'd you know?" Atton questioned in surprise. "Never had a hero's welcome before."

Mission recalled the first time they were met with such welcomed as she waved towards others. "You'll get use to it."

The only member of their team not walking was Meetra. Due to her sustained injuries, she was being escorted by Revan while resting on a repulsor gurney. As of now, she remained unconscious from her battle against the emperor.

"Carth, you made it," Dodonna smiled in relief to see her old friend had returned from battle alive and well.

"What can I say, Admiral?" Carth replied. "Never was one to miss victory parties."

Canderous approached Bralor, a grin of pride forming behind his helmet. "Excellent work on the space battle, Bralor. I trust you taught these Sith what it means to fight against a true mandalorian?"

Bralor nodded proudly. "Couldn't have done it more, Mandalore."

The two shared a sign of respect by bumping their blasters together before leaving elsewhere to discuss their battle report. Meanwhile, a couple of soldiers charged towards their injured ally, inspecting her injuries closely. Mical's assistance had sustained her for now, but it was clear she had a long way to go before recovering.

"We will take her to the medical centre at once," the officer assured as they made haste to get her to safety.

Another officer inspected the rest of their team, noting minor damage across their clothing and flesh. "If any of you are also injured, please join us for treatment with immediate effect."

A couple of the team followed the officers elsewhere. Atton had sustained a couple of broken ribs, Brianna a flesh wound to her leg and Mical an opened wound across his arm. Only a few from their team remained now.

Admiral Dodonna could not avoid staring towards the former dark lord, noting the amount of time it had been since their previous encounter. "It has been a long time, Revan."

"So it has, Admiral," Revan agreed, accepting her handshake offer. "I am glad to see you are well. Thank you for your assistance. Without your fleet, we were certain of defeat."

"It was an honour," Dodonna assured.

While old friends talked, Revan couldn't avoid hearing comments made by other soldiers in the hanger. Some discussed his previous life, others discussed his height and others commented on how different he looked than what they imagined.

Dodonna approached Carth as they shook hands with gratitude to each other. "I hate to do this now, Carth, but I believe it is time we fill out our reports to the officials on Telos."

"Agreed," Carth nodded. "We'll get started at once."

"We will make haste to the bridge at once," Dodonna replied as she turned towards the rest of the team. "As for the rest of you, please use the ship to rest up, just avoid entering restricted areas."

Mission couldn't avoid responding with a small salute. "No problem."

The two admirals left their presences shortly afterwards. In the meantime, Bao-Dur attended to T3, whom had used what little power he had to follow the rest of the team elsewhere. In the short time they spent reuniting with the fleet, Bao-Dur could not perform many feats, but now on a cruiser with many supplies, this was his chance.

The zabrak turned towards one of the officers remaining in their presence. "Mind if I fix my droid in one of your mechanical rooms?"

The officer nodded. "Head to the fourth floor, sector six. You'll find the mechanics bay there. I'll radio down and let them know you're on your way."

"Thanks," Bao-Dur replied as he knelt down to the astromech droid. "Let's get you fixed."

The astromech beeped softly and unclearly, his modulator too damaged to communicate. Under his own strength, T3 followed Bao-Dur in order to get his repairs. Mission decided to accompany them as she had nothing else to do in this ship.

The only two that remained was Revan himself and his assassin droid. Feeling a wave of awkwardness surround him, the former Jedi decided to re-enter the Ebon Hawk for some quiet time. HK, as his programmed commanded, followed him inside.

"Statement: is there anything you would like me to do, master?" HK-47 offered. "I would be more than happy to inflict agonizing pain to whom you desire."

"That will be unnecessary, HK," Revan assured as he took a seat within the men's dormitory. "I would like some time to myself. Please do not cause any trouble. In fact, just power down for a little while."

The assassin droid signed heavily, but obeyed his master's request. "Deactivation: shutting down."

HK went as cold as a rock in a matter of seconds, his red eyes dispersed. With no one around, Revan finally had some time to himself and practically collapsed in one of the beds. Many emotions raced around his mind: relief, shock, happiness and confusion. Everything felt like a dream.

Not more than two hours ago, he was locked away with no hope of escaping. Now he had been reunited with his old friend and finally fulfilled in his promise of defeating the emperor. It was all over now, never would the Sith terrorise the galaxy again. He could finally say it was all over.

* * *

"Your injuries are now in stable condition," the medical droid declared as he stepped back from his complaining patient. "With a few days rest, you will be back to full strength."

Atton groaned as he leaned up from his chair, grabbing his signature jacket to cover his shirtless body. Mical and Brianna watched him while other droids attended to their injuries.

"Atton, the doctor said to rest," Mical reminded, watching as Atton prepared to leave.

"Well I must have sustained memory damage," Atton replied with sarcasm. However, his joke fell too serious on the droids, who immediately ran to his aid. "Hey! Hey! Kidding."

As the medical droids dispersed, Atton proceeded to exit the room despite protests from the disciple. He had one destination in mind that he had been itching to go to: Meetra. Atton did not know why, but he felt as if she was calling to him, begging for help.

This left him puzzled. Meetra was more than capable of protecting herself. If anything, it should be him calling for her. Though he refused to believe it, he couldn't shake the thought of his mind and needed to find her now.

Fortunately, they were stationed in the medical area and knew she was nearby. Peaking through the various windows, he finally found her and felt part of his heart melt. Never had he seen her like this: beaten, weakened, empty of energy. Their fearless leader remained unconscious, her right hand no longer with her.

Without hesitation, he entered her room, shutting the blinds while doing so. The medical droid inside had been ordered elsewhere as she remained in stable condition. Grabbing a seat, Atton sat by her side, concern washed over his face.

He studied her as she rested. Her right eye was heavily bruised, her Jal Shey armor covered with damage and the end of her right arm covered with bandages. One might not guess this same warrior had led armies into galaxy's and emerged unscathed before.

Slowly, Atton reached over and gently held her remaining hand within both his own, never wanting to let her go again. "Meetra. Can you hear me?"

The former exile stirred slightly to his voice. Slowly, she turned her head to face him, both eyes slowly opening. Her voice was low, though Atton listened with one-hundred percent focus. "Atton?"

"Yeah it's me," the scoundrel confirmed. "How are you feeling?"

Though exhaustion held her down, Meetra refused to pass it out in the presence of Atton, the closest friend she had made since returning from exile. "Doc says it'll take a few days for my injuries to heal, I will need a lot of rest. Tomorrow, the doctors confirmed I have an appointment for a new hand. Won't be long till I can clap again."

Atton couldn't avoid a small chuckle to her small sense of humour. "And I thought I had bad jokes."

"I've heard worse," Meetra reassured, her eyes remained half-closed as a small smile remained across her face.

They were met with silence for a moment, both unsure on where this conversation was going. Their minds were met with multiple thoughts of events from their past battle.

While still holding her hand, Atton couldn't hold in his guilt any longer and vented his anger. "It's not fair,. I was suppose to protect you. I let you down, I'm nothing but a waste."

Meetra gave his hand a small squeeze from her remaining strength. "Vitiate was too powerful for any of us to fight. You gave it your all in that fight and I'm proud of you for that. If it weren't for your assistance at the end, we would not have won."

Her words did not bring down his thoughts. Atton continued placing blame on himself. "I can't bear to see you like this, to see someone so strong hurt because of me. You could have died! And I wouldn't have never had the chance to tell you!"

The tension between them suddenly changed to confusion on Meetra's end. She raised her eyebrow curiously to that last statement. "Tell me what?"

Atton now realized he had inadvertently released his secrets through anger. Now caught, he had no choice but to finally tell her the true, something he wanted to tell her for so long. "I love you. I have since the moment I first saw you, thought you were a dream come true. I don't ever want to let you go, but I know Jedi were taught to never form attachments and-"

While expressing his feelings, Atton had been so focused that he had not realized she had slipped her hand out of his own. Caught be surprised, Atton had not expected her to suddenly placed her hand against his head and force him down.

Without hesitation, Meetra pressed her lips into his own, engaging in a strong, passionate kiss between them. Although Atton had not expected this at the slightest, he did not hesitate to return the gesture, something he had wanted to do for so longer.

It had been a full moment until their kiss ended. Meetra rested her head against the pillow while Atton had to ponder as to what just happened.

"I love you, too," Meetra confessed, expressing a feeling she would never have thought she would share with anyone. "There was a time when I was taught to despise those feelings."

"You...Aren't afraid to love?" Atton questioned in surprise. It was as everything he had been taught about the Jedi was a lie.

"I am no longer afraid to love," Meetra reassured, raising her hand to place against his cheek. "The Jedi were wrong. Our emotions did not make us evil. They make us pure. Nothing could make me feel safer than to be loved by you, Atton."

Those words were like music to his ears. Atton always had something holding him back, an obstacle that prevented him from connecting with the Force. Now he understood what was limiting his potential: fear. He was afraid she would reject him, a concern that kept his mind distracted for so long.

The casualties of war and everything that has occurred would no doubt be remembered for a long time. Their had been destruction, misery, tyranny and death throughout the galaxy. From this moment forward, Meetra had the feeling everything was going to be all right.

* * *

 **And that concludes chapter 24, folks. Our heroes have returned home, friends are reunited and love has been shared between Meetra and Atton. Now one thing that is important to know is this is my first time writing love chemistry between Star Wars characters. It was never one of my strong points in the past so here's hoping. I will see you all next time. Peace.**


	25. Chapter 25: Inner conflict

**Knights of the Old Republic 3: The Final Chapters**

 **Chapter 25: Inner conflict**

 **Hiya everyone, I'm back. Apologies for later updates than usual. Don't worry, I'll be free soon once I** **graduate** **. On a side note, my production team and I have been working on a movie based on GTA. Feel free to check it out, link to my channel is on my profile. Enjoy chapter 25.**

* * *

Travelling by cruiser was much faster than normal ships when it came to hyperace. With the large interior, it was also easier to prevent any boredom. Three days had passed since the battle between the Sith. Most of the Republic fleet had travelled back to Telos while one cruiser personally escorted their heroes to their destination.

The Republic cruiser exited hyperspace, the beautiful planet of Lothal coming into view. The ship was more than capable of landing, but they were only here to deliver a small team. Admiral Dodonna personally watched the team of saviours enter their ship, all but Carth remained outside.

"Are you sure you won't come back to Telos first?" Dodonna inquired a second time. "You are all heroes of the galaxy, I believe your actions should be noted."

"Thanks for the offer, Admiral but there will be times for celebration," Carth reassured as he raised his hand towards her. "And thanks for the lift here."

"A pleasure," Dodonna nodded as they shook hands. "Take care of your team, Carth."

Without another word, Carth boarded the Ebon Hawk. In a matter of seconds, the ship levitated from the ground and exited the cruiser, all while Republic officers saluted in respect to the team that had inspired them to fight. Within a matter of moments, the Ebon Hawk slowly descended towards the farm of Bastila Shan, landing only a small distance away from their house. The team gathered at the exit of the Hawk, Meetra and Revan stood at the front.

Meetra placed her new prosthetic hand (covered with a black glove) against Revan's shoulder. "You okay?"

"Nervous," Revan admitted as he wiped the sweat from his forehead. "It's been so long."

"Trust me, once you see her, any hesitation you feel will be gone," Meetra reassured before turning towards the cathar standing by the controls. "Juhani."

Juhani nodded and activated the ramp controls. In a matter of seconds, the team slowly exited the Ebon Hawk. Walking in perfect synchronisation, the team approached the only home in sight for miles. They reached home before long, once again greeted by C2. Without anyone saying a word, the entrance to the home opened, and out stepped the resident. Bastila slowly stepped out into the light, wearing the same clothes as before, the only difference were the bandages wrapped around her leg.

She watched the small team before her, standing only a few feet away from them. Amongst the crowd, her eyes focused on one member of their team. Taking her cue, Meetra moved to the side, allowing husband and wife view of each other.

Revan slowly stepped forward towards Bastila, the love of his life, the mother of his child and the woman he shared a Force bond with. He continued approaching slowly until they only stood a mere foot away from each other. Their reunion had come at last, yet either side felt clueless to proceed. Husband and wife had longed to see each other for so long, but further obstacles blocked them.

Without another thought, Revan and Bastila threw their arms around each other, embracing tightly within the other's warmth. Bastila pressed her head against his chest while he rested his own against the top of her head. Meetra couldn't avoid a smile as she watched the reunion unfold before them. It was safe to say whatever concern he had for seeing his wife again was now gone.

"Mother?"

Bastila leaned out from Revan's embrace, turning her attention back towards their home. Hiding behind C2, Vaner leaned over her leg while he watched his mother speaking with a man he had never saw before. Who was he and why was he holding his mother?

"Vaner," Bastila said, beckoning for her son to approach. "I would like you to meet your father."

Vaner raised his eyebrow curiously as he slowly stepped from behind his cover, approaching the taller man his mother had introduced. "Father?"

The first sight of his son left Revan speechless. He had a son, a child to care for. Though a part of him remained hesitant, Revan knelt down on one knee to match Vaner's height. "Hello Vaner."

Another moment of silence passed as father and son started towards one another. Although Vaner had never met this man of his life, he immediately expressed joy, running towards his father's open arms. "Father!"

Revan laughed as he lifted his son, his voice mixed with emotions of happiness and relief. He held his son close, a wave of comfort surrounded him. From this day forward, he vowed to never leave them again. While father and son continued their first meeting, Bastilla moved forward to greet Meetra. Both former Jedi placed a hand upon the other's shoulders without saying a single word, reading each other's expressions like an open book. Though Bastila wouldn't deny her surprise upon seeing Meetra's new hand.

"Thank you all for everything," Bastila expressed her gratitude to everyone present. "Please, will you all join us for dinner? It is the least I can do."

There were no protests as Mission answered for everyone. "We'll be there, Bas'."

* * *

Dinner between friends and family was perfect. Revan got to know his son more, Bastila listened to their stories and the crews from both Revan and Meetra's team got to know each other better, apart from a couple of antisocial members of their team keeping distant. Things were going great. Unfortunately, one member of their team was not celebrating the peace.

Meetra sat alone on the top floor balcony, sitting with her knees brought up to her face. She watched as the sunset begun to lower beyond the horizon, all while she remained deep in thought. The others celebrated inside while she remained outside alone. Nearby, a small neebray flew towards, no bigger than her hands. Raising her one human hand, she extended one finger and allowed the neebray to perch itself on her finger. As someone who valued all life, she did not mind the company of wildlife.

Still, this brought her no comfort as to the events that transpired against the emperor. She thought the silence and lack of company would help her let go of her previous actions, yet it did no such thing. That quiet was broken when new voice broke in.

"There you are."

Meetra turned her head, facing a familiar scoundrel whom had joined her without being able to sense him coming. "Atton."

Atton held two cups of water, one of which he passed to Meetra. He joined her as he took a seat nearby. "What are you doing out here alone? Everyone was wondering where you disappeared to."

Meetra gently raised her hand and allowed the neebray to fly away before replying. "I needed some time to myself, to think for a while."

He raised a curious eyebrow. "Something on your mind?"

"Have you forgotten?" Meetra questioned, receiving a mere shrug in response. "Atton, I gave into my anger. I fueled on dark side power to fight Vitiate, I went down the path I swore to never follow."

Needless to say, Atton had almost forgot. During her rage, he had mostly been unconscious and missed out most of the fight, only joining again when he shot the emperor. "You can't let that bother. We won, that's all that matters-"

"No!" Meetra had suddenly snapped, almost making him jump as she jumped to her feet. "Don't you understand? I became a whole other person! I wasn't myself! I became someone else, something else! I could have been corrupted by it's power permanently!"

"But you didn't!" Atton reminded as he too stood. "You're here now, safer than before."

"Until how long?" Meetra questioned. "How long until I snap again? How long until I give into my hate!? How long until I hurt someone I love?!"

Frustrated, she slammed her prosthetic hand into one of the walls, creating a dent that further proved her point. She prepared to storm away, only to be pulled back.

Atton placed both hands on her shoulders, forcing her to make eye-contact with him. "Listen to me! I've been travelling you for a long time now, weeks, months even. I know you, Meetra Surik. You helped every person we've come across, selflessly putting yourself aside to make the galaxy a better place. You're not a bad person, you are not going to turn to the dark side! Not today, not tomorrow, not ever!"

His voice was firm and strict, a rare side of Atton as he usually replaced his emotions with humour. This proved how serious he was acting right now, attempting to reach through and reassured her everything would be fine. Unfortunately, his words were clearly not dissuading her opinion.

Meetra moved out from his grip, clearly unfazed by his words. "You don't understand, Atton. You never will. How could you..."

Without warning, she jumped from the balcony and landed on the ground two stories below. Atton ran to the edge and called her name, but she did not reply. Realising he could not keep up with her speed, Atton remained defeated, praying she would not do anything reckless.

"I won't give up on you, Meetra. Never."

* * *

Morning arrived sooner than anyone thought. Dinner was great and everyone had a good time. Even Canderous finally let his tough guy persona down for the night and enjoyed themselves. While Revan and his family slept inside, the others remained on the ship as usual. Unfortunately, one of their members was not enjoying the peace.

After last night's outburst, Meetra returned before long once her head was clear. This did not bring he much comfort for so long. During early morning while the others rested, Meetra isolated herself to the top of the ship, sitting with her legs crossed, eyes closed and deep in meditation. All her life she was taught to resist the temptation of the dark side, to fight it's grasp and be pure of heart. She failed and now her mind was in wonders. How long until it corrupted her? How long until she snapped again in the midst of battle? How long before one of her friends died from her actions? It terrified her to think of such tragedy occurring.

 _"I see you…"_

Meetra opened her eyes to the new sudden voice. She turned her head both sides, spotting no one beside her. Feeling it was her mind playing tricks, she closed her eyes and resumed her meditation, repeating her teachings through her mind. (" _There is no emotion, there is peace. No emotion, only peace._ ")

 _"I see you."_

Her eyes snapped open again. That time, she definitely heard that voice clear as daylight. "Is someone there?"

 _"Come to me."_

Standing, Meetra inspected the area around her in search of the voice. There was no one in sight that could have spoken to her so clear from long range. Whoever was speaking to her was not in person but through telekinesis. "Who are you? Where are you?"

 _"I can help you."_

There was a presence. It was faint, but it was there and calling to her. Meetra never felt more puzzled in her life. Who was calling to her and why? The voice had an interest in her and clearly was eager to meet her face to face. Meetra felt hesitant, but something inside her was telling her this was the right thing to do.

Hopping down from the ship, Meetra approached the small starfighter parked on the opposite side of the Shan residence. The ship was only built for one individual and one astromech droid. Without asking for permission, she jumped on and zoomed off into the distance, following the voice to it's source. Whoever was speaking to her was definitely was not Lothal.

She hoped this decision would not come back to haunt her.

* * *

Revan couldn't remember the last time he had such a good night's sleep. Years trapped in a cell while facing constant torture didn't bring him much comfort. He hadn't rested since escaping the Sith, even on the journey back to Lothal. Waking up next to his beautiful wife bought him more comfort that he would always cherish.

With a small yawn, Revan turned towards Bastila, inspecting to see if she was awake. She remained sleeping on her side, but Revan knew different. "Bastila, I know you're awake."

His wife turned towards him, eyes opened while she remained in sleeping position. "Sometimes I curse that Force bond of us."

Revan merely chuckled to her comment before they greeted each other with a small kiss. "How did you sleep?"

"With you, lovely," Bastila replied smoothly, raising one hand to touch his face. "It's been so long. A day didn't go back when I gave up hope on your return. Though I am afraid to say that I was worried for your future, your past life."

While she spoke, Revan had lifted his hand and gently took one of her own, gathering her full attention. "That's over now. No more wars, no more fights against the Sith. I promise."

Before Bastila could reply, they were both startled by the sounds of an engine starting up. Exchanging a brief look of confusion, they stepped out of bed and ran towards the balcony of their home. Bastila's single starfighter took off into the air, turning away from their home and then speeding away into the distance. It wasn't long before the rest of their guests exited the Ebon Hawk to investigate.

"Either someone's stealing my ship or someone in your group has got some bloody nerve," Bastila said with a small shake from her head.

Revan knew the answer all too well, not even taking a second to sense the missing presence around them. "It's Meetra."

Bastila turned towards him and raised an eyebrow. "Where is she going?"

Revan did not reply as he watched the small ship disappear into the distance until it was no longer in sight. Needless to say, nor he or Atton had forgotten of her previous inner conflict. It was only a matter of time until she left. Revan could only hope his old friend would not do anything reckless.

* * *

Meetra had no idea where she was going. She sat slumped in the one-seated fighter, a hand placed against her face in confusion. She was conflicted, confused, frustrated and other mixture of emotions were beginning to flood around her.

Her only company was T3. The astromech droid remained outside of the ship as her co-pilot, offering her some companionship. He beeped in curiosity.

"I don't know where we're going, T3," Meetra admitted. The voice she had heard was gone, not a trace remained. Was it even real or was she just losing her mind? Had the toll of battle finally put too much on her? "Just get ready to make the jump into hyperspace."

T3 beeped to remind her of an important detail that had gone unnoticed.

"The coordinates are already entered?" Meetra questioned, turning her gaze towards the navigation chart. To her surprise, a set of digits were already entered into the system. Judging by the state of the ship, it had not been used in a long time to have been left there from before and she definitely did not enter them on her own. "These codes, I don't recognize them. T3, do you have any records on these coordinates? Any known space?"

T3 replied negatively.

Needless to say, this whole situation was making her grow uneasy. A voice guiding her to come somewhere, unknown coordinates entered into the ship and about to travel someone unknown. This feeling didn't seek well with her. Her instincts were telling her to go back, but the Force was practically whispering to go.

Meetra leaned back with her arms crossed. "We can go back. Or we can take a gamble. What do you think?"

T3 didn't share her desire to go, concerned with where they were going without the rest of the crew to join them. However, he acknowledged that he would follow her, no matter what.

With only a moment's hesitation, Meetra leaned forward and placed her hand against the hyperdrive thruster. "As my master once said, 'do. Or do not. There is no try'."

In a matter of seconds, the small freighter entered the familiar surroundings of hyperspace, leaving no traces of ever being present in Lothal orbit. The journey it would take to get to this location was unknown. It could be days, weeks for that matter. There was no time to to dwell on it now, her decisions had been made.

* * *

Darkness surrounded the entire area around her, barely able to see two step ahead of her. Her lightsaber barely served as a beacon of light to guide her. To where, she did not know. No sign of life, no buildings, nothing. Simple nothing.

Meetra raised her lightsaber around her, hoping the glow of her weapon would reveal something in the darkness. Her instincts kicked in as other footsteps surrounded her, closing in from all sides. With her lightsaber raised, she took up a defensive form, preparing to fight who or whatever was closing towards her. In the distance, she raised her guard further as another lit emitted, recognising the sound of a lightsaber anywhere. The figure holding the lightsaber is what surprised her the most. Though his face was difficult to see in the darkness, his red lightsaber gave just enough light to be recognised.

"Malak?" Meetra questioned in surprise. "Impossible, you're dead."

It was not long before another red lightsaber extended to her right. The familiar scorched and damaged body of Sion approached, staring her down without any words.

"Sion," Meetra didn't understand what was going on, how she got her. "What sorcery is this?"

"Sorcery is but an illusion."

Meetra's eyes widened at the familiar voice of her old mentor. She lowered her lightsaber, almost dropping her guard. The hooded figure emerged from the darkness, as clear as daylight despite the contestant darkness around them.

"Kreia?!"

"It is as I told you, my student," Kreia addressed in her usual monotone and prepared voice. "I do not want your mercy. Your actions have led to inevitability of your downfall. Now you experience the path of the dark side, what will you do with such power? Will you continue your pathetic excuses of peace or will use such power to restore order to the galaxy through unorthodox means?"

Meetra stepped back, lowering her weapon as a sign of peace. "Never. I will never use the dark side to power my agenda. I do not need the Jedi or the Sith, I know my path."

"Indeed?" Kreia questioned curiously, though her tone hinted otherwise. "And yet you wielded this power to defeat your enemies? It allowed you overcome your foes power, why not use it again? Out of pride or do you still believe in your intent of remaining neutral in this galaxy?"

Meetra remained speechless, struggling to find her words. Her hands were beginning to shake, her legs trembling in fear. She barely kept a hold of her lightsaber. Her body was showing her anxiety but her voice was firm as ever before. "Never. I will never abandon my beliefs."

This was certainly not the answer her old mentor had wanted to here. Kreia snapped immediately after. "Then you have still learned nothing. I am disappointed, you showed such promise."

It wasn't long before Kreia revealed her own lightsaber. In perfect synchronization, all three of the foes around her begun to close in, lightsabers raised to no doubt kill her. Meetra, however, did not put up any defense. She threw her lightsaber down, eyes closed as he accepted the fate that waited before her…

* * *

Meetra sat awake with a gasp, bumping her head against a metal object. Her surprise changed to annoyance as she rubbed one hand over her small injury. Relieved to see she was back in the ship, Meetra breathed and leaned back, grateful that the whole experience was merely a dream. Her momentary peace was interrupted by the familiar beeps of her astromech droid. T3 had news to report, hence why he had woke her.

"We're here?" Meetra clarified as she studied the outside of the ship. It had only just dawned on her that they were no longer in hyperspace and standing before her was a large, red plant positioned in the front. She rubbed her eyes for a few seconds, making certain this was not a dream. "T3, how long was I out?"

The answer T3 gave was quite unexpected.

"Only two days?" Meetra said confused. "But I was only asleep for...Nevermind. Any idea on where we are?"

T3 did her the favour of opening the navigation charts, bringing up a small hologram.

This only left her with more questions. "We're still in the Lothal sector? But this planet wasn't even on any of the archives. It's like someone didn't want this planet found unless they were called. It looks deserted. Ready to go and take a look?"

Unsurprisingly, T3 expressed his hesitation.

"Didn't think so," Meetra smiled for the first time in a while and took control of the ship.

Their small ship approached the mysterious planet, passing through the clouds until the surface was beginning to come into view. Though there was no specific destination in mind, something her mind was telling her to land somewhere close to where they had entered from. There were not many details they could gather from this planet from first view, let alone it's name. Whole planet was deprived of civilization, nothing but wasteland. According to the statistics, there was breathable air. Not that would pose a problem with T3.

Meetra set the ship down in a small area, the engines scared off a couple of wildlife. She shut down the ship's power and exited the cockpit. Upon being exposed to the planet, a large wave of heat hit her hard.

"It's almost as bad as Tatooine!" Meetra said, having to take a moment to adjust to the new climate.

T3 jumped out from the ship, landing beside her with a small thud. Miscalculating his jump, T3 collapsed onto his front face first. Meetra couldn't avoid a chuckle as she helped him stand. "You okay there?"

 _"Come to me."_

Meetra almost jump, dropping T3 again in the process. She quickly helped him stand once again, receiving an annoyed look from the astromech droid. "I think it's best if you stay here, T3. Where I'm going, I need to go alone."

T3 did not agree, beeping in concern.

"I'll be fine," Meetra reassured, but her tone indicated she was not certain herself. Patting his head for a small bit of comfort, she stood up and walked into the distance.

While walking into nowhere, Meetra begun to observe her surroundings with closer inspection. The planet was covered in a rocky surface, surrounded with plated tree corals and caverns which no doubt served as hives to the other creatures. So far, convoree had been flying around with dokma scattering around. Worst, a few giant krykna spiders had been crawling around the caverns around them. She had not known much about krykna, other than they were hostile and had a similar behaviour to kinrath. Best to keep distance.

Overall, this planet was actually quite peaceful. The quiet atmosphere and lack of disturbance gave this impression. Had this planet not had such an unbearable heat, Meetra would have happily moved here. But for now, her mind was focused on locating the voice.

She continued walking for what felt like an hour, finally arriving at a rather large rock, one that seemed unusually bigger than the rest and out of place. It didn't seem like this was naturally in place, but as if someone moved it here. It definitely caught her interest more than anything else around this barren wasteland.

That was until the rock begun to move.

Stepping back in surprise, Meetra placed her feet against the ground with one hand near her lightsaber, prepared to fight if need be. The giant rock lifted itself from the ground, seemingly levitating on it's own. That was until a pair of arms exposed as well, revealing themselves covered with similar rocks as well. Finally, a large head appeared as well, revealing a face covered with tan skin, brown beard and white eyes.

Meetra could only watch in awe as the mysterious figure stood high above it, at least twenty-five feet in height. She moved her hand away from her weapon, feeling that she would no longer require a defense. The figure's giant eyes were locked directly towards her, a small smile crossing his face. He spoke loud with a small echo added to his voice, giving her an immediate impression of his personality. Furthermore, she recognized the voice to be the one in her head.

"Welcome to Atollon."

She did not move from her spot, too memorized to move. After everything that she experienced, Meetra was certain nothing else in this galaxy could surprise her. Slowly, she stepped forward and addressed the man. "I heard your voice before, thought I was hearing things, but...Here you are."

The large figure's smiled widened, intrigued. "Ahh. You heard my call, excellent! It has been while since I sensed imbalance in the Force. It has awoken me from a deep slumber."

Meetra was indeed growing my curious, taking a step forward closer. "Sensed? You're a Force wielder."

The giant just about contained his laughter. "Wielder? The Jedi and Sith wield the Ashla and Bogan, the calm and the anger, the good and the bad, the light and the dark. I'm the one in the middle. The Bendu."

Bendu. That name indeed rung a bell. She studied hm carefully, not finding any similarities with him and her studies. "Bendu? As in the Order of Dai Bendu? I read much of your history, but I assumed it was all legends."

"Ahh, so the studies of Force wielders still rely on their books. Time has not been kind to them it seems," Bendu noted. "There is always truth in legends. You are indeed an interesting one. What do you call yourself?"

"Meetra Surik, former Jedi knight," she introduced after a few seconds of hesitation.

"You carry much conflict with you Meetra Surik, former Jedi knight," Bendu noted curiously. "Your presence is like a violent storm in this quiet world, yet the storm is no threat."

Feeling less nervous than before, Meetra felt comfortable to rest, sitting down with her legs crossed. "You could sense my imbalance for across the galaxy? Incredible."

The Bendu did not reply to her comment, pushing past to the topic at hand. "Tell me of your imbalance, Meetra Surik, former Jedi knight."

Meetra did not know where to begin. But she hadn't come this far from nothing. "All my life, I have tried to do the right thing, never using my power for personal gain. I fought in wars, experienced death, exiled and travelled around the galaxy in search of nothing. Yet even despite all that, I never allowed the horrors to consume me, always staying true to my morals. That was until recently. We were in war against the Sith and a close friend of mine...Sacrificed herself for me."

Bendu noted the difficulty in her voice as her voice got softer with each word. Nevertheless, he did not interrupt and allowed her to continue.

"Her death finally pushed me. I thought I was use to someone I cared for dying, but I lost control. I gave in to what I always fought against, fueling on my anger for power," Meetra concluded the main reason of her inner conflict, but now had to discuss the aftermath. "The experience...It was terrifying, awful, something I never want to experience again. Since then, I've isolated myself from my friends, fearing that I'll snap again and hurt them. That's when I heard your voice. I don't know how, but I found you here."

Almost immediately, the Bendu had processed her words of self-doubt. "And now you are here? For a lesson, perhaps? Heheheha!"

His small laughter wasn't helping the situation. Meetra was beginning to think he wasn't taking her seriously. "This is not funny. I'm dangerous."

"How so?" Bendu question.

"The dark side is a power of evil, a source of corruption," Meetra responded quickly. "It takes good people and turn them into monsters a path they can never recover from! We've just wiped out one emperor, how long till another rises?"

The Bendu chuckled slightly once again as if every one of her words amused him. "Do you really believe emotions make you good or evil? The temptation of power and forbidden knowledge can lead some down that path, but it is up to you to change yourself."

"That's not always the case, Bendu," Meetra responded. To try and prove her point further, she responded by raising her cybernetic hand towards him as she removed her glove. "Look what it cost me! Many have tried to use their feelings for good and it all has done is caused misery and destruction. I told someone I loved him! And now if there's any possibility of my emotions causing me to snap, I'll have to let that go. Do you know how hard that is?! How difficult it must be!?"

Bendu examined her curiously as he narrowed his eyes slightly. "You're conflict becomes clear to me. Tell me, why do you carry that?"

Meetra followed his gaze towards her weapon. "It's my lightsaber, the life of a Jedi."

Bendu raised one of his gigantic hands, small rocks of dust falling while doing so. "May I see it?"

Meetra did not understand why he was so interested in her weapon. Not like he could use it with his own hands. Nevertheless, she removed her weapon and allowed him hold it within Force telekinesis. He examined it curiously for a brief second, but Meetra did not expect him to suddenly toss it away behind him.

"Hey!" Meetra exclaimed, jumping to her feet. "Why did you do that?!"

"I am helping you," Bendu assured.

"That was my lightsaber, that was practically my life you just threw away!" Meetra shouted, annoyed that an apparent wise and old creature would casually dispose of such a weapon. "Those krykna could attack me and I would have no way to protect myself!"

"You believe that?" Bendu questioned calmly, not at all fazed by her accusations. "Now it is time you learn things differently."

Meetra had no idea what he was trying to tell her with all these riddles. As she opened her mouth to reply, her fears came true as krykna emerged from the hill, crawling quickly on their legs towards her with small hisses. Ignoring Bendu, they were coming straight towards her. Without her lightsaber, she had no way to defend herself and she couldn't Force push them away forever.

"What do you want to do?" Bendu inquired. "Will you fight or will you go back to running away? You always ran away from confrontation."

Meetra backed away from every direction of, completely surrounded by the krykna. She raised her hand and pushed a couple of them away, but it wasn't enough to create an opening to escape. No matter the direction, she was trapped. "Aren't you gonna help me?!"

"Let go," Bendu suggested calmly.

"I can't!" Meetra replied.

"Don't be afraid of them."

"I'm not afraid of them!"

The krykna were getting closer with every step, forming a circle around her. Some of them snarled viciously, others snapping their beaks aggressively. She had both hands raised in preparation. She was beginning to wish Bendu would step in and help. Furthermore, she cursed herself for not practising the beast trick from Kreia.

"Then what?"

"I don't know!"

There was little to no space between her and the krykna now. Nothing was stopping them at this point from leaping forward and attacking, no doubt devouring her to bits.

"Are you sure?"

"I…"

"What do you fear?"

Meetra felt the sweat dripping from her head, arms shaking with her legs barely holding herself up. Unable to hold in her feelings anymore, Meetra closed her eyes and screamed. "I'm afraid of CARING!"

Silence echoed throughout the area as Meetra kept her vision blocked, waiting for her unexpected end. To her surprise, nothing happened. Slowly, she peaked and was shocked to witness the krykna were still surrounding her. However, they now showed no signs of hostility, merely observing her from their distances. Confused, Meetra approached the nearest one and raised her hand. The krykna did not move or attempt to attack at all. It was as if all of their hostilities had just dispersed.

"They're not attacking."

"It is not in their nature to attack you," Bendu explained. "You do not see them for how they are."

"Creepy crawlies with intent on ripping me to shreds? Can't say I see much more," Meetra replied with a hint of sarcasm. "Great, now I'm beginning to sound like Atton."

"Look closer."

Meetra stretched out one hand towards the same krykna, seeking to build any connection between them. There was nothing but silence around them as the creature did not respond. "I can't sense them."

"Look within."

Meetra closed her eyes for better concentration, looking past the krykna's intimidating look. Deep within their cold and dark minds was a small sense of emotion, something too deep to almost miss for any untrained eye. "I see...Fear."

"In the krykna?"

"Yes. No. Not within the krykna. It's…" Meetra opened her eyes slowly, dropping her hand. The realization of the situation hit her like a tank. The emotions she could sense was not reflect on what the krykna was feeling, but herself. "...The fear, the regret, the conflict. That's how I see myself."

Bendu's smile formed once again. "Hehaha. Now you understand, Meetra Surik, former Jedi knight."

With a few seconds of hesitation preventing her movement, Meetra closed her eyes and inhaled a deep breath, calming her mind. Slowly, she stepped forward towards the Bendu, the krykna moved out of the way towards the sides and allowed her past. She halted in front of the Bendu, staring towards him with confidence. "I distanced myself from everyone, from the Force. I should never have pushed away those around me."

"Then you are beginning to understand," Bendu noted with a small nod. Slowly, he raised his other hand and gestured towards a nearby cave, only a few yards away. "But I still sense conflict within you. It is time."

Meetra followed his gesture, eyeing the cave with suspicion. "I already entered one cave for a test, I don't think I need another."

"Ahh, you have let go of your past in the pits of Korriban," Bendu reminded, earning a suspicious glance for Meetra. How did he know this? "But there is yet another test. You can leave, but in doing so, you may never have sought the answers you seek. What will you do, Meetra Surik, former Jedi knight?"

Needless to say, Meetra wasn't exactly looking forward to entering. She turned back towards the way she came, knowing she could get past the krykna without worry. But if she turned away now, would she reached the closure she desperately wanted? To look past her inner conflict? It was only a possibility, one she did not intend to risk. With a small sigh, she turned towards the cave. "I will enter."

"Excellent," Bendu noted.

Meetra tried to look past the gigantic Forcer wielder, hoping to retrieve her weapon. "Can I get my lightsaber?"

Bendu shook his head. "You will not need it."

"But the darkness-"

"Is but a mere obstacle. If you always rely on your weapon, how do you intend to pass your fears? Sometimes fighting is not always the answer."

Though somewhat hesitation, Meetra acknowledged his words, even if she did believe it was foolish. Bendu may be a mysterious entity and somewhat reckless, but he hadn't led her astray so far. Without another word, Meetra stepped forward, passing the various creatures around her. They once again moved away from her way, but kept their eyes locked towards her curiously. The cave came into full view, revealing nothing but an empty pit within. It was complete darkness, not even able to see two feet in front of her.

Taking one final look towards the outside world, Meetra stepped forward and entered the cave. Immediately, she felt her foot had collided and tripped over. She fell towards the darkness of the cave, realising that it was a hole she had fallen into. Meetra rolled as she hell down, hitting various obstacles along the way.

"Omph!" Meetra grunted as her back hit the ground, finally coming a stand still. The pain finally settled in, leaving her to groan in agony while surrounded by darkness. It was not long until the pain ceased, allowing her to stand up.

Nothing. Nothing in sight. It was just too dark to see without her lightsaber as a guidance. Beginning to regret the situation, she raised her arm to her comlink. "T3, can you hear me? Come in, T3!"

There was no response. Her communication was not broke by all means. She must have been way deeper in this cavern than she predicted. Gathering her bearings, Meetra stood up and begun to walk into the endless darkness with one hand stretched to avoid bumping into anymore rocks. Her footsteps echoed throughout the cave, creating the only sounds in this endless pit.

To avoid boredom and going insane, Meetra begun speaking to herself. "Trapped in cave, surrounded in darkness, no idea where I'm in here and what I'm looking for. Could it get any worse?"

Her worries were only strengthened as another pair of footsteps joined her. Meetra halted in her steps, listening carefully with her guard up. Then again, there wasn't much she could do. In pitch darkness with no weapon, she would need to rely her Force abilities to combat whatever was present. Then again, would she need to fight? For all she knew, this was another person trapped in here as well and simply looking for a way out?

Suddenly, the darkness around her brightened ever so slightly. Standing only a few feet away was the familiar sight of a blue lightsaber, followed with it's soothing buzzing. Seems she wasn't alone after all. The figure holding the weapon was dressed in a brown cloak with their hood up. The glow also revealed they were concealing their face with a Jedi Temple Guard mask.

"Who are you?" Meetra questioned.

The masked figure stepped forward, raising their lightsaber in a Juyo form. They charged with their weapon raised, beginning to swing away towards their target. Meetra dodged each strike, narrowly missing each one. Without her lightsaber, she had no way to defend. The Tutaminis was an option, but it was a difficult technique to master. She was only able to pull it off last time thanks to her temporary boost of power.

With perfect timing, Meetra caught her opponent's wrists within both of her hands. "Who are you!? Why are you attacking me?!"

The masked figure did not respond, trying to bring their lightsaber down to hit Meetra. The hilt of her lightsaber came closer into view, allowing Meetra to identify familiar structure.

"That's my lightsaber!" Meetra accused. Growing restless, she began to squeeze her cybernetic hand against the masked figure wrist. With another pressure, the figure stumbled backwards. Meetra kept a hold of their other wrist and countered with a punch to their torso, followed with a kick and then slammed her cybernetic hand down into the hilt, causing the masked figure to drop her weapon.

Now with her opponent unarmed, Meetra begun her assault and landed as many hits as possible. The masked figure begun to fight back, blocking her various attacks. It was as if the figure knew all of Meetra's moves, striking back before she had even had the chance to attack. The masked figure knew her every move; it was like fighting a mirror.

It was not long before the masked figure broke of Meetra's attack, slamming their feet into Meetra and knocking her down into the pitch back darkness. Stretching out one hand, the masked figure reclaimed the lightsaber and ignited it. Meetra panted to catch her breathe. She stood up and charged, only to be Force pushed away. Slowly, the masked figure begun to step forward, lightsaber lowered to their side. Meetra leaned up, taking up a Soresu stance, she prepared to fight again. It was difficult to beat whoever this was, especially if this person intended to kill her.

That's when it dawned on her that what if this person was not real? What if this was another illusion, just like the cave on Korriban? Bendu wanted her to go in there for a reason, but why? At least the Korriban trials had people she recognized. Why was she confronting this masked figure? What was the point of this test?

 _"Sometimes fighting is not always the answer."_

The familiar voice echoed through her mind. Meetra slowly begun to lower her guard, all while the masked figure continued to march towards her. What she was about to was absolutely crazy and may even cost her more than her hand this time. Dropping her arms completely, Meetra stood firm and closed her eyes. Though her sight was blocked, she could sense her attack was now only a couple of feet away between them. She sensed the masked figure raise their lightsaber, preparing to strike directly towards her head.

There was no going back now.

Meetra sensed the masked figure had stopped their fatal attack a few inches from her head. It was so close that she could practically feel the heat burning gently against her skin. She opened her eyes slowly, watching with relief as the masked figure moved her lightsaber away, lowering it to their hide. Raising their free hand, the masked figure removed their hood and then their mask.

She studied their face closely, confirming her suspicion. This whole time, she was not challenged by an attacker. Meetra had been challenging by a vision of herself. Her other self had her eyes locked towards her, an exact duplicate. Same hair, same eyes, same face.

Meetra's face softened, her fear disappearing completely. "I understand now. My biggest fear...Has been myself. It was always my own self doubt that created my inner conflict. I know now what needs to be done."

Without uttering a single word, Meetra and her counterpart bowed towards each other, at peace with their conflict. A large gateway of light suddenly appeared from behind, brightening up the darkened cave. She turned away from the vision and stepped into the light.

In a matter of seconds, she was greeted by the familiar environment of Atollon. Exiting the cave, Meetra was relieved to see the Bendu was still present in the exact position as before. The krynka, however, had dispersed.

"And so you return," Bendu noted. "Have you sought your answers?"

Meetra nodded as she leaned down to retrieve her glove, placing it back over her cybernetic hand. "I understand now. Thank you, Bendu, for everything. I'm afraid this is where we part ways now."

"And so the student becomes the master. Heheheha!" Bendu chuckled once again, ever so amused by her words. Raising his gigantic hand, he offered her a familiar item. "I see much for your future. We will meet again, Meetra Surik, former Jedi knight."

Facing the mysterious Force wielder once more and reclaiming her lightsaber, Meetra turned and left, ready to leave this world. She had the closure, feeling like a big weight had been lifted from her shoulder. Raising her arm, she activitied her comlink. "T3, can you hear me?"

The familiar beeps of her astromech droid never felt more relieving. He was going crazy, speaking as if she was gone for years.

"I wasn't gone for that long!" Meetra reassured with a small chuckle. "Look, I'm on my way back now. Get the ship ready. It's time to go home."

* * *

 **And that brings us to the end of another chapter, ladies and gentlemen. So the idea for this is to show the consequences of the dark side. If anyone remembers Return of the Jedi, Luke briefly gave it, but was able to stop himself before he finished off Vader. This always bothered me because they always talk about how strong the dark side is, yet Luke was able to use it and turn away easily. Long story short, I wanted to tell the story of suffering from what great power can do to someone. Anyway, thanks for reading and I'll see everyone next chapter.**


	26. Chapter 26: Until we meet again

**Knights of the Old Republic 3: The Final Chapters**

 **Chapter 26: Until we meet again**

 **Hey everyone. First off, I do apologise for how late this chapter has came. Had work, life, etc, I won't bore you with the details, but I got to concentrate once things calmed down. And here we are with the final chapter. It was originally going to be split into two parts, but once I observed it, I felt that it was better to keep it was one and have a grand final. So here we are. On a higher note, Star Wars The Clone Wars is returning for another season. Yay! I for one cannot wait. Now without** **furthermore** **, here is final chapter. Enjoy and thanks to everyone for sticking with me all the way.**

* * *

The sudden departure of their fearless leader had not gone unnoticed by the rest of the crew. Everyone was puzzled as to why she had suddenly left without any warning. None were more worried than Atton, especially after the previous nights events. Clearly, she was confused, lost and conflicted with herself. She could be off fighting another endless battle for all they knew. Four days. Four long days she had been gone for without a word, taking T3 with her a well.

"We can't just sit here!" Atton said to no one in particular. "Let's take the Hawk and track her!"

Mission placed one arm out before he did something hastily. "We don't know where she went and she's not answering her comlink. I got the feeling she doesn't want to be followed."

The group were gathered outside of the Shan residence, discussing their next step. Growing frustrated, Atton turned towards Bastila for an answer. "Can't you track the ship? You know, activate the beacon?!"

"I'm afraid not," Bastila said in sorrow. "We only used that ship for travelling across the Lothal."

"And you didn't think to install one?!" Atton snapped aggressively.

His yells are attracting the attention of the others. If there was one thing that Revan would not stand for was someone threatening his family and friends. He stepped forward to his wife's defence, pushing back Atton with a small jab. "Don't speak to my wife like that!"

Atton understood the former dark lord was way out of his league, but right now, he didn't have a care in the world. He raised both hands and pushed him back. "Get your hands off me!"

In retaliation, Revan raised his hand and punched Atton across the face. The scoundrel stumbled backwards from the amount of force that had been put into his fist. Atton had recovered shortly, lunging forward into a scuffle. Quickly, the other group members intervened and separated the two before someone got seriously hurt.

Carth and Mical grabbed both of Revan's arms, pulling him away and stopping him further damage. Bao-Dur and Canderous did a similar action with Atton. Bao-Dur's mechanical arm combined with Mandalore's strength made it easier than expected.

Bastila ran forward towards her husband, placing one hand against his cheek to redirect his focus. "Revan, calm down! Please."

Brianna had placed her hand against Atton's torso, hoping to calm him down. "Atton, relax. Now is not the time for hostilities."

The assassin droid nearby had his own say in the matter, not picking a fight with either side. "Disappointment: why is it that meatbags feel the need to restrain the other? I believe confrontations should only end with one meeting their unfortunate end."

"Not helping, HK!" Mission exclaimed with a frown.

It took a couple of minutes until both men were beginning to show any signs of settling backing down. That was until the familiar sounds of engines came from above. Everyone turned towards the same direction, watching with relief as the familiar ship came into view. It landed nearby the Ebon Hawk, softly hitting against the ground. The cockpit opened and out came a familiar face.

Atton's eyes widened in relief, pulling himself out from his restrainer's arms to run towards her. The others followed shortly afterwards, the previous tension disappeared. Atton got to her first, though he resisted the desire to hug her for the time being.

"You okay?" Atton inquired slowly.

The others had gathered around by now, slowly of course to avoid any more unnecessary tension.

Though she had no words to exchange, Meetra's smile said everything. She nodded. "I'm better than okay," she stepped forward to address the rest of her allies. "Everyone, I'm sorry for leaving so sudden. I've been...Confused since our battle against the Sith. I went away to find some answers."

Revan could tell her tone had changed since the battle. But now, he sensed nothing but a state of calmness. "I trust you have much to share?"

Surprisingly, Meetra shook her head as she begun to pass everyone. "Nope. Nothing much really."

This was certainly not the answer everyone had been expecting. Nothing? After being gone for four days, there was nothing to report at all? Many had doubts, but who was going to question her? Jedi were never one to tell lies anyway.

"I for one am glad to see you are well," Mical expressed his relief to see her, earning a raised eyebrow from Atton.

Meetra patted him on the shoulder as she stood before the group, addressing them for one final time as a whole. "Our journey began with a mistake I made. I travelled with the Republic to Telos. In turn, I attracted the Sith, then came Peragus, then Atton, and Kreia, then Telos and then I travelled the entire galaxy. It's been a long trip, but it's finally over now. The Sith are no more. The galaxy is safe."

As she took a moment to breathe, Mical raised his hand to speak. "Forgive me for asking, but how do we know it is over?"

"The disciple is right," Brianna agreed as she stepped forward. "How long until the galaxy is under attack again? Order is needed."

"Even if we dealt with the main threat, they may still have some stragglers," Bao-Dur added. "From both Nihilus and Vitiate sides, lurking in the shadows like rats and waiting for the right moment."

Revan caught onto the pattern they were getting at. "I think what they are trying to say is we need a way to protect the galaxy, to keep watch over the universe. A new Jedi Order."

The Jedi Order had all but been extinct since Katarr. The deaths of Jedi Masters Vrook, Zez-Kai Ell, Kavar and Atris had left Meetra as the final remaining Jedi. Aside from her followers, most of them knew nothing of the Order. It was going to be a difficult process in rebuilding the Order, but was this a responsibility she was willing to accept? Each time she had tried to do good, more harm seemed to follow.

Meetra turned towards her followers, her friends that had joined her throughout this journey for so long and still relied on her for answers. "No. We won't rebuild the old Order. The Jedi always chose hesitation over action, they believe emotions are the path to the dark side. They betrayed me, us and they were wrong in their teachings. Emotions don't make us evil, they make us pure."

None argued with her reasoning. She even held Atton's hand to confirm her point, leaving a few of them to looked surprise as they remained unaware of their relationship. Nevertheless, they smiled and were glad Meetra had found happiness after recent events. Not many could live through the same trauma without losing their way, who they were and what she stood for.

"What are you saying?" Canderous questioned.

"I'm saying we're not rebuilding the old Order," Meetra explained. "We're building a new one. People shouldn't be forced to abandon their emotions in favour of becoming a Jedi. If we don't show compassion for others, then how can we call ourselves protectors of the galaxy? How does this make us better than the Sith? Revan, you and Bastila share a strong bond. Did your feelings ever corrupt you?"

Without hesitation, Revan answered as he gazed upon his wife's eyes, remembering old times. "No. It was our love that turned Bastila away from the dark side. She also helped me become a better person than who I was in my past life. I wouldn't trade it for anything in the galaxy."

His sincerity caused Bastila to smile. He was right; emotions were not a burden, they were a blessing. How could the Jedi truly believe that their compassion was the path to the evil? Sentiments could not influence the mind of a warrior, only their own will could do that.

"But I can't do this alone," Meetra admitted. "My strength has a leader has faltered over time. I was never your frontrunner, we were all a team from the beginning, a family for that matter. Only together can do this. I ask each one of you who have the abilities to wield the Force: will you help me change the ways of the Jedi?"

Atton, Bao-Dur, Brianna, Mical and Juhani gathered around. Each one of them originated from a different origin, whenever it be a former criminal, a mechanic, a historian or a handmaiden. Yet here they were, wielders of the Force and as pure as their hearts desired. They followed her without question and put their newfound powers to help others, but could they truly rebuild a new Order?

Juhani was the first to step forward, reaching for her lightsaber. "My time as a Jedi changed who I was. I was born into destruction of my home, I watched my family die before me and I was enslaved until I was rescued by the Jedi. My path to becoming a Jedi has been difficult, I have experienced the light and the dark, yet I feel neither was my true calling. I cannot let go of my emotions, but I will never succumb to the dark side. If we can truly build a world where we are pure and stay true to our morals, I want to be a part of that. I will help."

Mical was the second to step forward, hand raising as if he were requesting permission to speak. Once Meetra acknowledged him with a small nod, he spoke. "It is as I told you on Telos: we follow you, but it is not of the will of the Force. We follow you because you are a born leader. You needn't ask me for my services. I will use my knowledge as a historian to help with this new Order. No longer will we follow the teachings of ignorance. I am with you."

The third to step forward was the handmaiden herself Brianna. She moved forward and got down on both knees, placing her double-bladed lightsaber between her hands as a gift gesture. "My mistress taught us that wielding the powers of the Force was a sin, a supremacy that none should wield. Though it saddens me to admit this, but she was wrong. The Force is not a feat to fear, it is a gift. There is so much to learn, so much to teach others out there. Allow me to join you in teaching the ways of the Echani. My will…Is yours."

The next to join them was the mechanic Bao-Dur. "I'm not that good with words, General. But since the war, I've spent every waking moment in trying to fix the galaxy, putting my mechanic skills to use. I can't do much more by going planet to planet. You opened my eyes and taught me there's more to life than holding onto the past. I'm with you."

The final member of their small team was the scoundrel himself. Atton stepped forward, closer than the others. "I've been with you since the start, we fought together from planet to planet. No matter what we encountered, where we went or how much we fought, you didn't give up, on me, yourself and any of us. You opened my eyes to the Force, you taught me there's so much more to life. You don't even need to ask. I'm sticking with to the end. You're not getting rid of me that easy."

Their sincere words and honestly left Meetra with reassurance and comfort. She smiled and stood before her friends, her companions, her allies…Her family. "Thank you. All of you, for everything. Now listen carefully."

* * *

With half the group agreeing to join Meetra in their new journey together, it was time for older companions to bid their farewells for now. Together, everyone joined once more on the Ebon Hawk to return the companions to their respective home worlds. Revan accompanied the team as well, owing it to everyone to at least say goodbye this time. Though it was not forever, at least those from Revan's side would have closure this time.

Their first destination was Coruscant, the huge planet of one big city, to return Mission. Though she didn't feel any discomfort returning to her business without Zaalbar, Revan wasn't exactly eager to see her return alone. Coruscant was a huge city, populated with many criminals in the underworld. While she had grown and matured in the following years, he would always see her as that sweet and innocent child he met on Taris.

The Ebon Hawk descended from the sky and landed within the same Republic hanger as before thanks to Carth's assistance. Atton kept the engines running as their ramp lowered down, preparing to take off since they were not staying long. Upon opening the ship, Mission walked out with Revan and Meetra following beside after saying her goodbyes with the others on the ship. Despite dressing in casual attire, Revan received a few looks from the locals, no doubt surprised to see the hero of the galaxy return.

"Guess this is it," Mission said while raising her hand to check the time on her watch. "Any second now."

"You sure this is for the best?" Revan inquired. "You know Bastila and I are always here if you need someone to talk to."

"And you will always have a place at the Enclave, too," Meetra offered. "Once it's rebuilt, of course."

"Thanks," Mission smiled. "But it'll be okay. Besides, who says I'm alone? He'll be here any moment now."

Revan arched an eyebrow to whom she repeatedly referred to. Though he didn't admit it loud, he was getting a little tired of the pronounce game. "Mission, who's coming to meet you? Why the secret?"

"You'll see," she replied.

"Mission!"

The new voice confirmed Revan's suspicions. Turning towards the source, he raised his eyes ever so slightly as a familiar twi'lek approached, waving one hand happily. This was a face he never expected to see in a thousand years. "Griff?"

"Hey there!" Griff greeted enthusiastically while holding both arms towards his younger sister. "Mission, it's been a long!"

"Likewise," Mission agreed and happily accepted her brother's embrace.

While Meetra seemed happy that Mission had a friend, Revan felt otherwise. He gave Griff a suspicious look while approaching the siblings. "Mission, what's going on? Why is Griff here?"

"Simple," Mission smiled. "Carth helped me find Griff while we were on Lothal. He's been great and after everything that happened these past couple of weeks, I understand the importance of family. So, we got in touch and now he's here to stay with me."

Her answer didn't exactly comfort Revan. While he trusted Mission's judgement, the same couldn't be said for Griff. "How can you be sure? Last time I saw you, you conned me out of a lot of credits for some crazy scheme. Wasn't easy getting that tach glands, you know."

Gently removing Mission from his grip, he turned towards the former dark lord and held up his hands innocently. "I've made some mistakes in the past. I am sorry for everything I did, but I promise that I've changed! I've been to therapy, got cleaned up. No more debts or crazy schemes."

Mission backed up his statement. "It's true. Carth even showed me his therapy record. He's a changed man."

Even with facts and her own verdict backing everything up, Revan still had doubts. "Can you trust him? After everything?"

"It's like you told me before: you have to stick by your family, even if they're slime sometimes," Mission reminded with a smile before shifting her focus to her brother. "I got a job for you, a _real_ job. That is if you don't mind lifting crates and delivering them to customers?"

Griff was more than happy to accept her offer. "Are you kidding? I was the best delivery boy in Taris!"

While her old friend was sceptical, Meetra was more than pleased that Mission had reunited with her brother. She outstretched one hand towards the other twi'lek. "It's nice to meet you, Griff. I'm Meetra."

Griff accepted her hand shake, though he was surprised by her tight grip, oblivious to her having an artificial limb. "Wow, good grip you got there."

With a small sigh, Revan acknowledged Mission was old enough to make her own decisions. He placed one hand against her shoulder, looking into her eyes with concern. "If you ever need anything, we're just a call away."

Mission smiled and placed her hand against his own. "Always. Take care…Exo."

The two exchanged a friendly hug before it was time to say goodbye. Mission and Griff bid the two friends farewell as they walked away into the distance. Revan didn't remove his eyes until they out of sight, still somewhat uncertain about trusting her brother. For all he knew, this was just one big scheme to trick her into losing the business.

Meetra didn't need the Force to sense his uneasiness. She placed one hand against his arm, gesturing him to return inside. "She'll be okay. Come on, it's time to go."

With little hesitation, the two re-entered the Ebon Hawk and resumed their journey. Though it felt wrong to leave Mission with her brother on a planet the size of Coruscant, Revan knew she would be fine. For now, one chapter in her life ended and another begun.

* * *

For the next few days, the Ebon Hawk travelled to their next destination to drop off the next member of their team: Dxun, the large orbited the Inner Rim world of Onderon, but more importantly, the home of the Mandalorians. With his oath to Revan settled, Canderous was to return to his people and prepare to lead them into a new age. Everyone was hoping of course that they wouldn't attack the Republic anytime soon, especially after their temporary alliance against the Sith.

The Ebon Hawk came to a landing in the middle of their base, catching the attention of everyone present. Had they not recognized this ship, they would have gladly shot it down without a second thought. A small group of Mandalorians led by Kelborn and Bralor approached the ship just as the ramp was beginning to lower from the hold.

Everyone held their arms against their chest as a sign of respect for their leader. Mandalore himself exited the Ebon Hawk, accompanied with the two Force wielders he had come to know well.

"Mandalore, we welcome your return," Kelborn greeted.

"Kelborn," Canderous acknowledged him while inspecting the base, noting there remained damage from the Siths attack.

Bralor caught his glance and debriefed the situation. "We've disposed of the bodies and salvaged whatever tech we could from those blasted Sith. We'll have all operations back up in no time. We're still gathering reports from the battle on Dromund Kaas."

"You can debrief me later. Dismissed," Canderous ordered. Removing his helmet once more, he turned towards the two leaders before him. "If either of you start getting emotional on me, this blaster's going right through your eyes."

Meetra chuckled to his empty threat. "Somethings never change."

Revan held out his hand. "Thank you, Canderous. For Taris, the Star Forge and Dromund. For everything. It was an honour to fight alongside you."

With a firm grasp, Canderous accepted his handshake. "The honour was all mine, Revan. No matter where we go from here, know that you have my respect from one warrior to another. Both of you."

Keeping this farewell short, Canderous placed his helmet back on and marched away to help the rest of his clan. Revan and Meetra didn't seem surprised by his abrupt departure.

"Think he'll attack the Republic one day?" Meetra inquired.

Revan crossed his arms while a grin firmed on his face. "Let him try."

* * *

After the Mandalorians had donated them more fuel to their ship as good will, the group made a one-way trip from Dxun all the way to Telos. Their new engines allowed them to get there in smaller time than usual, saving them a couple of days of boredom within the ship. With less members to their team now, the ship was far less crowded.

The Ebon Hawk dropped out of hyperspace as Telos came into view, greeted with a blockage of cruisers. Meetra stood with Carth and Atton on the bridge as they approached the planet. Unfortunately, it wasn't long until a harsh warning came from their communications.

" _Unidentified ship, identity yourself immediately or you will be faced with dire consequences._ "

Carth immediately explained their intentions. "This is Admiral Onasi, clearance code 06-12-2004."

There was a brief pause as the crew remained tense, fearing they had come all this way to get blown up by their own allies. Eventually, a response came from the lead cruiser. " _Copy that, Admiral. You're clear to land at section 12._ "

"Roger," Carth replied as he turned towards Revan sitting beside him. "Nothing like a warm welcoming."

Flying between the various ships guarding their planet, the Hawk came into a landing within one of the empty hangers, greeted with various guards and automatic turrets ready to fire. As the three allies left the hanger, Lieutenant Grenn was once again there to greet them, accompanied with another high-ranking soldier.

"Lieutenant, you always seem to be waiting every time I arrive on Telos," Meetra noted.

"And trouble always seems to follow you every time you're here," Green countered, earning a small frown from the former exile.

Carth's eyes immediately darted to the other soldier, eyes widening in surprise. "Dustil?!"

"Dad!" Dustil exclaimed and jumped into his father's arms, relieved to see he was well. "I'm so glad you're safe."

Meetra raised one eyebrow in surprise, turning towards Revan for confirmation. "Carth has a son?"

Carth leaned out from their embrace as he inspected his son, noting his new attire. "Dustil, last time I saw you was after the war against Malak. Look at you! You're a soldier?"

"Sergeant," Dustil corrected with a smile. "I'm sorry I couldn't contact you sooner, but since the purge of the Jedi…I-I-I had to go into hiding, I couldn't risk contacting you and endangering Telos. I worked with a group of survivors somewhere in the underworld. But when I heard you came back, I…I had to see you."

Carth patted his son's shoulder in reassurance. "It doesn't matter. You had your reasons, son and I'm proud of you. We can catch up soon."

As father and son reunited, Meetra couldn't help but note one of his statements. "Survivors? You're…A Jedi?"

Dustil was somewhat hesitated to answer as a small wave of guilt hit him. "No, not exactly…I…I almost joined the Sith, a long time ago in a…It doesn't matter. But a group of us escaped and I took them here for safety once the war ended. We've been hiding ever since."

Surprised to say, Meetra didn't expect to see anymore Force wielders aside from her own team. "Incredible. Dustil, let me ask you: now that the Sith are destroyed, where do you want to go from here?"

Admittedly, Dustil had not given his future any consideration. Aside from finding his father, he didn't exactly have another purpose. "I'm not certain, miss…I guess I stay here, for now."

Catching on to her pattern, Carth spoke up. "Son, if you're happy with it, I may have something lined up for you and your friends."

Dustil's interests peaked. "Really? What is it?"

"We'll catch up later and I'll tell you everything then," Carth reassured. For now, he shifted his attention away from his son and towards his oldest friend before him. Admittedly, Carth was at a loss for words. "Feels like just yesterday we met. You and I, meeting in the escape pod, Taris, the war and you get the picture. I don't want this to be goodbye, but we all have our journeys to follow."

"We'll see each other again, Carth," Revan promised and held out his hand. "Thank you for never giving up on me, on Taris, on Malak's ship and on Dromund. I owe you everything."

Carth accepted his gesture. "And thank you. Not just for saving us more times than I can count, but for being a good friend. Don't be a stranger, you hear?"

"Always," Revan nodded.

"It was an honour serving with you, Carth," Meetra agreed. "Looking forward to seeing you again."

Exchanging no more farewells between them, Revan and Meetra boarded their ship, halting by the edge to wave goodbye as the ramp closed. Carth and Dustil returned the gesture while the ship ascended and sped away into the distance. This time, Carth did not feel any sadness or regret to see that old ship leave. Instead, he was left reassured that he would see them again one day.

* * *

With only one more stop remained until the journey to rebuilding the Order begun: Lothal. Though their new Order would change many things and the way the Force was taught, there was no place for Revan, at least not yet. After everything that occurred between his the Mandalorian wars, his rise to the dark side, Malak and Dromund, it had caused many doubts within his mind and his ability to wield the Force.

For now, his family needed him more than Meetra. Travelling for just under a week, the group returned to beautiful planet of Lothal once more. Landing outside the Shan residence, the remaining group gathered as one to bid farewell to the former dark lord. After so long, so much fighting and so much suffering, he could finally rest and enjoy the sunset, wake up to a world without conflict.

As the ship landed outside, Bastila was already out there to greet everyone with Vaner, C2, HK and T3 behind her. The ramp lowered and out came the members of their team to personal bid Revan farewell. After a quick greeting with his wife and son, Revan turned to bid everyone goodbye. Juhani, Brianna, Mical and Bao-Dur each spoke their goodbyes.

"Thank you for not only saving me, but for teaching me what it means to remain pure."

"Your presence was an admiration."

"It was an honour to make your acquittance."

"Good fighting alongside you once more."

Revan shared an individual goodbye with each of them. He shook hands with Atton next. "Sorry about the face the other day."

"Not my best feature anyway," Atton reassured. "I'll get you back."

Between their exchange of goodbyes, HK-47 couldn't avoid expressing his disgust. "Statement: this pathetic excuse departing makes my core sick."

Unfazed by his comment, Meetra smiled. "Don't ever change, HK."

Revan only chuckled in amusement as he shifted his attention to the final member of their team: Meetra, his friend, partner, saviour and hero. Without her, none of them may be standing today. He placed one hand against her shoulder, tapping her lightly. "Meetra. I can't ever thank you enough for everything. You're my best friend and I don't want you to ever think otherwise."

Meetra fought to hold a tear of joy as she placed her hand against his arm. "Never. When the Order returns, there's always going to be a place for you and Bastila. We wouldn't have it any over way."

No doubt Revan would join them. Not today, not tomorrow or maybe not even for months, but one day, he would. Exchanging one final hug between them, the remaining team boarded the Hawk. Partially, everyone believed Revan would want his ship back, but he was more than happy to allow them to keep it. Besides, Meetra was a better captain than he ever was.

Standing with his family and droids, they watched as the Ebon Hawk ascended from the sky once more. Revan placed one arm over Bastila while the other was upon his son's shoulder. Though he felt sadness now, he felt comfort that they would reunite again one day and under better circumstances.

"Farewell, Meetra Surik," Revan smiled.

* * *

For the final time, the Ebon Hawk dropped from hyperspace towards the peaceful planet of Dantooine. This world had endured so much over the years, but its beauty never dispersed. One day, this planet was going to be brought back to its glory, as were the other worlds across the galaxy. It would take him, but with enough determination and dedication, nothing was impossible.

Thanks to the former Jedi masters, the Enclave had been mostly rebuilt save for some debris here and there. This is where their journey was going to begin in rebuilding a new Order. Their ship came to a landing in their usual spot that was somehow unoccupied each time they arrived. No one complained, of course. Upon landing the ship, everyone felt a wave of nervousness wash over them.

"It has been a long time since my feet touched the planet's surface," Juhani admitted. "The dark side presence has perished, yet it feels strange."

"We'll get through it, Juhani," Meetra reassured. "All of us. Together."

With the engines powered down and locked down, Meetra pressed the button to the ramp and begun walking with her followers beside her. Their arrival had not gone unnoticed. Administrator Terena Adare and her personal guard Captain Zherron were already there to greet them. Judging by her face, she seemed surprise to see them.

"Master Jedi," Terena greeted. "You have returned. Welcome."

"Thank you, Administrator," Meetra replied.

Zherron observed the rest of the group intently. He spoke in his usual straightforward and serious voice without a single emotion. "Last time I checked, there were more of you. Trouble?"

"No trouble," Meetra reassured.

"May I ask why you have returned?" Terena inquired. "There's no danger here, I can assure you."

"My point exactly," Meetra answered. "Administrator, last time we were here, no one trusted us because of our titles as Force wielders. Even after the battle against the mercenaries, the people's trust is still shaken with us. We want to rebuild their trust in the Jedi. We're here to start again, to build a new Order and restore peace to the galaxy."

Needless to say, Terena would never have suspected the Jedi would return after the purge. But unlike many of her people, she had never lost faith in them and raised a smile in acceptance. "I trust that you will. We heard of your actions on Dromund Kaas. I assume you will be using the Enclave nearby to begin?"

"That's right," Meetra confirmed.

"Then I wish you good luck, Master Jedi," Terena said and happily stood aside. "May the Force be with you."

The group thanked her as they began their small walk towards the Enclave. It was relatively close to the area, wouldn't take them no longer than half hour. With the mercenaries disposed of and the kinrath driven away, there was no obstacles in their way. Through the residential area, the group received stares from the locals, some surprised while others concerned.

"They seem sceptical," Mical noted. "I don't believe our presence is reassuring."

"It will take time," Brianna replied. "Give them time."

It was a small walk until the Enclave was beginning to come into view. Along the way, everyone was feeling slightly uneasy. Mical was concerned about teaching, Bao-Dur of fixing the place, Juhani of returning to the very place she had almost fallen to the dark side, but none were more anxious than Meetra. Not only did she have the responsibility of leading this group, but this was the very place her former masters had tried to cut her from the Force.

However, a smile for Atton reassured her everything would be fine as he took her hand. Alone, things were tough, but together there was not a single thing they couldn't do. The group of six reached the outside of the Jedi Enclave. This was it, this is where their new journey begun, the quest to begin a new Order had begun.

"It's not pretty, but guess it's home," Atton said, his comment earning a nudge from Bao-Dur.

"We will restore this enclave to its former glory," Juhani said firmly. "Whatever it may take."

"And so, it begins," Brianna added.

"Fascinating that this infrastructure remains whole after so long," Mical said. Despite taking up temporal residence here before joining with their team, he had been so focused on his studies that he failed to appreciate its beauty.

Bao-Dur turned towards Meetra, ready to follow her guidance once more. "Where do we go from here, General?"

Along the way, Meetra had memorised the exact assignments for everyone to do once they arrived. "Juhani, scout around the enclave for any sign of creatures. Mical, take everything you've documented and begin organising the archives. Brianna, clear up any deceased creatures that are around the area. Bao-Dur, see if you can get our systems back to operational. Atton and I are gonna start clearing up the rubble. We'll regroup in an hour. Any questions?"

There were none. The four moved to do their respective roles, scattering in various directions. Only Meetra and Atton remained together as they stood outside the enclave, preparing themselves.

"Ready?" Atton inquired.

Meetra nodded. "I'm ready."

The two begun to walk towards the Enclave, hand in hand. Atton never would have guessed he would have told Meetra how he felt, never mind holding her hand without hesitation.

Along the way, Atton couldn't avoid discussing their future. "So, if we get married, does that mean you would be Meetra Surik Rand?"

Meetra couldn't avoid a small chuckle to his suggestion. "Married? Thinking a little far ahead there."

"What can I say?" Atton said. "I'm a hopeless romantic."

His comment only caused further amusement to Meetra. Never would she grow tired of his jokes and sense of humour. "That would be nice. Except Surik isn't my real surname."

Upon saying this, Atton's eyebrows raised in surprise. He heard her address others by full name so many times. "It's not?"

Meetra shook her head. "It was an alias I went by to avoid the Sith tracking me. Staying anonymous in this galaxy is a lot harder than you think."

"Really?" Atton asked, his curiosity peaked. "What is it?"

Admittedly, she never expected to use her full name again, considering it apart of her past she wanted to forget. But no longer did she feel ashamed to dread on her past. She was proud. Meetra turned to face him with a smile. "Skywalker. Meetra Skywalker."

Satisfied with her answer, the two entered the Enclave to begin their journey. From this day forward, the Jedi Order would no longer followed their old ways. They were on the journey to something new.

* * *

 ** _21 BBY_**

Time had passed since the small band of friends had rebuilt their new Jedi Order. It was a difficult process, one that left the group uncertain if they could succeed, but under the guidance of Meetra, they did not fail. The Order was built with Meetra appointed as Grand Master and her follow companions beside her as Jedi Masters. As promised, Dustil and his friends had joined their Jedi Order and were trained in the new ways of the Force. In more time, new children with the potential of wielding the Force were discovered and happily joined the Order to unlock their hidden power.

With Meetra as their leader, Mical had used all his studies to teach the new students about their history and helping them avoid the path to the dark side. Juhani helped this process by reflecting on her own experience while simultaneously teaching the various lightsaber forms. Brianna performed similar teachings but had taught those who were skilled the ways of the Echani, teaching them the importance of their history along the way. Bao-Dur also assisted in the teachings of forms, but as a side hobby, he taught students the basic arts of mechanics and how it would potentially save their lives one day.

Atton, while no teacher by any means, had contributed his own history with the Sith to the students and discussed the Jedi who had opened his eyes to the Force. As the years went by, Revan and Bastila had joined the Order to help with the former being appointed as Master of the Order. Using their own experience, Revan imparted words of wisdom to the students on how his love for Bastila had saved them from the dark side. Furthermore, the day came when they discovered Vaner was also strong in the Force. Together, as parents, they taught their son how to wield such power.

As for the others, Griff stuck true to his word and helped Mission establish a popular business with new ideas that worked out well for once. Before long, they were the talk of the town and became one of the strongest companies across Coruscant, taking on more staff than they could possible manager. Canderous had gathered his Mandalorian warriors and rebuilt their glory once more. However, no longer did they attack the Republic. Instead, they became warriors of honour and only attacked those who had evil intentions. This was odd for some to accept. Revan and Meetra's influence must have affected him more than they thought.

Carth remained on Telos, eventually promoted to the rank of General. With the help of Chodo Habat and Moza, Telos was finally restored to its former glory. It had been a difficult process, but the results well paid off. However, they were far from done. Seeing no other reason to stay, Chodo and his people departed from Telos and travelled to other planets in the hopes of restoring worlds that had been decimated by war.

As promised, Meetra and Atton had married and continued to oversee the Jedi Order as husband and wife. Together, nothing stood in their way and they personally oversaw the training of many younglings. Further years went by and they gave birth to their first child, a young girl they named Amiaa who was very strong in the Force. Like Vaner, she was trained in the ways of the Force and eventually succeeded her mother's position as Grand Master.

Almost four-thousand passed. Their actions had not been in vain. The new Jedi Order permanently restored balance the galaxy, ensuring no Sith had ever risen again. Worlds were restored, people were safe, and the Force remained as strong as ever. On present day Coruscant, a lone Jedi Master approached the statue of his ancestor that had been constructed long ago in her honour, ensuring new generations would never forget the hero that had saved their galaxy.

Anakin smiled as he observed the statue of Meetra, his ancestor whom he was proud to be a part of. It wasn't long until his master and oldest friend joined him.

"Still visiting every day, I see?" Obi-Wan noted with a small chuckle. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were going crazy."

Anakin chuckled to his master's dry sense of humour. "No matter the circumstance, I owe her everything. If it wasn't for Meetra, I don't think we would be here today. If only I could have met her."

Obi-Wan patted him lightly on the shoulder. "Come now, Master Yoda is requesting our presence."

Anakin nodded and followed his older mentor away from the shrine. He paused just before the exit and smiled once more. "Until we meet again, Meetra."

* * *

 **The end. Thank you all for joining me in this journey and I hope this was a satisfying end to what should have been an amazing trilogy. This is my** **interpretation** **of how Knights of the old Republic 3 should have been. Once more, thank you all for joining me. Like the chapter says...**

 **Until we meet again.**

 **Disclaimer: Knights of the old Republic is owned by BioWare and LucasArts while Star Wars is owned by Disney and formerly by George Lucas.**


End file.
